


Straight to the Ice

by DawnOfTomorrow



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: AU, M/M, Mari is a great sister, Misunderstandings, Oblivious Katsuki Yuuri, Thirsty Victor Nikiforov, Vicchan Lives, Victor Nikiforov is Extra, Victor is 'straight', Victor is an Instagram Model, so much thirst, thirst, yuuri is a skater
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-01-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:27:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 112
Words: 83,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22097131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DawnOfTomorrow/pseuds/DawnOfTomorrow
Summary: AU where Victor is a straight Instagram model and Yuuri is a gay skater. Victor falls in love and pursues Yuuri. Things don't go as expected for the normally smooth model, nor for the painfully oblivious skater. Their lives are thrown into disarray, but they may just both end up better off for it - assuming neither dies of thirst first.
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov
Comments: 637
Kudos: 465





	1. Chapter 1

Most things he did happened on a whim. He’d left school on a whim, moved from Russia to the US on a whim, had started his social media channels on a whim… he loved surprising people after all. Victor Nikiforov, easily the most sought-after and popular male Instagram model in the world, did stupid, spontaneous things all the time. Half of his many, many relationships began and ended on a whim.

He was well-known as a heartbreaker, and generally, women knew to tread carefully around him. When they didn’t – well, then usually he walked away. That was what had led to him being in the bedroom of a good friend of his.

To be more precise, it was how he ended up in the hotel room of Chris Giacometti, a Swiss figure skating star in the middle of the Grand Prix final. He’d flown to Barcelona on a whim, complaining about a ‘broken heart’ - never mind the fact that he had dumped her, and his good-natured friend had been happy to accommodate him.

Half a bottle of champagne later, they were laying on Chris’ bed, watching a recap of the day’s skating events on the television. Victor was only half-paying attention, scrolling through Instagram on his phone, when something on the screen caught his eye.

Another skater.

“Who’s he?” He asked Chris, who was paying a lot more attention than he was, despite having had more alcohol.

“Hm? Oh that’s Yuuri Katsuki. He’s the Japanese rep.”

Victor hummed, curious. The man on the screen was simply skating in lazy circles, warming up. “He any good?” Chris shrugged next to him.

“He has talent. Divine step sequences and performances, but sometimes fails his jumps. He’s not had the best time this year but he might medal.” It went without saying that it wouldn’t be gold – Victor knew Chris was the favoured skater that year.

His eyes remained glued to the screen, where Yuuri Katsuki attempted – and failed – a jump. “See? He often falls on the triple axel. He did in competition as well.” The camera panned away to someone else, a Canadian.

Victor lost interest.

The next morning, on a whim, Victor decided to follow Chris to training. In addition to the public warm-up that skaters went through, there was a second, private rink where they could train in, well, private.

With only six finalists and a day off before the short programs were skated, each of them got a three hour slot to train. Normally, Victor would have avoided something so boring on pain of death. Not that day though. He went with Chris, leaned on the rink-barrier and watched his friend half goof off and half train.

Chris was better with an audience, even if the audience was just a friend, and even if that friend wasn’t overly interested in the first place. Victor spent most of his time on his phone – until something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. Someone else had appeared – two someones.

A tall, long-haired man and the skater from the day before – Yuuri Katsuki. The obviously older of the two was talking animatedly to the skater, clearly not too happy about something. From the look of it, Yuuri was ignoring him, starting to warm up.

He did the same stretches, motions and movements he’d seen Chris do, but Victor was surprised by the differences. Chris was taller – quite a bit. He was lankier too, despite his muscle definition. Yuuri was… different.

It wasn’t until the man stood up and turned, meeting his eyes, that Victor realised he’d been staring for a while. He put on his friendliest smile, waving hello. The other man looked… affronted almost, before turning away and bending over, stretching his legs.

Victor wasn’t embarrassed very often or very easily, but that did it. Chris skated over a moment later with a snicker. “Did you seriously just try to hit on him?”

Victor scoffed. “Of course not. I’m not gay. I was just being friendly.”

Chris shrugged. “I’ve seen you flirt and that was your flirty smile. Also, you may not be gay, but he is.” Victor’s eyes snapped back to Yuuri. The man didn’t look gay – not that Victor believed all gay men were as flamboyant as Chris was.

Still, he wouldn’t have pegged the other for being gay. Victor had a semi-functional gaydar at the very least, so he couldn’t help but wonder why it hadn’t even really occurred to him. He tossed Chris a towel when the other came off the ice a few minutes later.

“Want to stay and watch him?”

He frowned at Chris. “No? Why? Wouldn’t that be rude?”

Chris shrugged. “No more than staring at him while he warms up, honestly. In that case, lunch?” He nodded, only looking back at Yuuri two or three times as the other took to the ice while he and Chris walked out.

When Chris invited him to join him and some other skaters for drinks that evening, he accepted on a whim.

It was boring. Mindlessly so. Sure, he pretended to have fun, posted a few well-filtered selfies from the bar, but he was bored. Chris had fun though, making the trip at least half-bearable. He was almost relieved when Chris decided to call it a night after an angry call from his coach about the competition the next day.

Victor decided to attend that too – there wasn’t an awful lot to do after all, and he enjoyed the all-access pass that was Chris. It was an opportunity for some exclusive photos. That was how he ended up rink-side right before Chris was up – the third skate of the day.

He wished his friend good luck and watched him take to the ice. Watching him do his routine was fun – Chris was a talented skater and it was obvious how much he loved the ice and his performance on it. Victor envied him a little – he couldn’t remember the last time he’d enjoyed something as much as Chris loved skating.

When his eyes found Yuuri Katsuki half-way through Chris’ performance, he didn’t even notice how completely he forgot about his Swiss friend’s skate. The other man looked… harrowed, really. Terrified, anxious, everything in between. The long-haired man – presumably his coach – was speaking to him insistently, but the skater himself was simply staring at his skates.

Applause sounded and Chris skated towards the exit. Victor clapped, of course, smiling at his friend. Chris got good scores – not his best, but more than enough to put him in a comfortable first place. Victor had expected Chris to want to leave immediately after his performance, but instead, he pulled Victor to an empty part of the seating section and sat down with him.

“Good job.”

“Thanks. Was fun.” Chris was still breathing hard when Yuuri Katsuki skated to the middle of the rink and took his starting position. Music began to play, and the Japanese skater began his performance.

Victor was absolutely spell-bound. Being friends with Chris, he’d seen plenty of performances, but never one like the one he witnessed then. He’d always rolled his eyes when people proclaimed to be able to see this emotion or that in a performance, but watching Yuuri Katsuki, he found himself understanding.

The performance was flawed – two falls and a trip – and Victor was still pretty sure it was the most captivating thing he’d ever witnessed. He was on the edge of his seat, eyes glued to the man. When the program ended, he found himself honestly disappointed.

The skater went to the Kiss & Cry with slumped shoulders. Victor had no idea why he had been brilliant. His scores said otherwise. Fourth place, almost nineteen points lower than Chris. Chris, whom Victor had forgotten about entirely. A little guilty, he turned to his friend who was openly snickering at him.

Victor didn’t care.

“Introduce me to him.”

“What, to Yuuri? Why?”

He turned back to the man that was just slipping on a jersey and walking off. He grinned to himself. Victor Nikiforov did many things on a whim. This would not be one of them.

“Because I’m going to marry that man.”


	2. Chapter 2

Yuuri wasn’t exactly having the day of his life. His short program hadn’t gone well – not as badly as it could have, but not great either, and he’d already had to listen to a lecture from his coach about it. Hiding in his room until the free skate the next day was really all that he wanted to do… except of course, the universe wasn’t that kind to him.

He came back to missed calls from his family and sighed – he always left his phone in his hotel room when he went to skate, not needing the distraction. Still, he called his sister back first – she’d left the most messages.

“Yuuri?”

“Mari. What’s the news?”

“Oh I’m glad you called. Good news, it’s good. Vicchan will be fine. He’ll make it.”

Yuuri practically sagged in relief.

“He’s already out of surgery, just needs to recover now.”

“Oh god, I’m so glad. I couldn’t even concentrate properly while skating today. I’m so glad he’s okay.”

Mari chuckled. “Yeah, we saw. Not your best performance, little bro, but I get it. Anyway, you’ll have to make up for it tomorrow. Don’t disappoint Vicchan!” He chuckled and wasn’t at all surprised when his sister hung up a moment later – she was a little blunt like that.

Still, it was the best news he’d gotten all day. Vicchan, his toy poodle, had somehow eaten a piece of plastic that had gotten lodged in his throat and later stomach. He had to have surgery – given that he was already 12, his chances hadn’t been great.

To find out that his beloved dog had made it… it was a relief, to say the least.

Yuuri let himself sink on his bed, boneless with all his tension suddenly gone when his phone buzzed. He still had to call back his mother and his friend Phitchit, but he looked at the new message first.

An unknown number.

‘Celebration lunch? Chris G.’ He blinked at his phone in confusion. Chris G could only be Giacometti, the Swiss skater in first place. Why would he want to have lunch with him? And what was there to celebrate? Without checking, Yuuri was still fairly certain he was in last place. Not to mention, he had very little desire to leave his room.

‘Sorry?’ He texted back, hoping for an explanation. A few minutes later, he got another text.

‘Katsuki, right? Want to have lunch together? Friend of mine wants to meet you. Chris’ That was… odd to say the least. A friend?

Yuuri’s thoughts darted to the silver-haired man that had been with Chris the day before, at training. He’d caught the other staring at him openly. When he’d given him a pointed look, the other had just grinned, unrepentant.

It was his growling stomach that made the final decision for him. ‘When and where?’ he texted back.


	3. Chapter 3

Victor didn’t get nervous very easily. Really, he didn’t. It was entirely out of character for him to fuss about meeting someone also. He’d met movie stars and THEY had gushed over HIM. He’d met politicians, fans, just about everything and everyone.

Yet, ten minutes before the agreed meeting time, a heavy pit sat in his stomach. Chris had, at his very insistent behest, finally asked his coach for help and after some searching, had procured Yuuri Katsuki’s phone number.

He’d invited the other man for lunch and, despite Chris’ conviction he probably wouldn’t accept, the other man had agreed to come. Victor couldn’t recall the last time he’d tried so hard to make himself look attractive before a date – not that it was a date, since he didn’t even know the other man yet and Chris would be there.

Still, clad in a four-thousand dollar Armani suit and with his hair artfully styled, he was sitting in an uncomfortable chair, next to a snickering Chris. After the other had gotten over his initial shock about his very, very heterosexual friend declaring his intention to marry a man he didn’t even know, he had snickered practically non-stop.

Had he been less nervous, he’d have probably told the other to knock it off. It really wasn’t funny. He was well aware of just how out of character absolutely everything he was doing was… he just didn’t care. He wanted to make a good first impression.

He refused to count being caught staring as a first impression. Chris nudged him with his shoe before standing up and waving enthusiastically.

Victor suppressed a squeal when a mop of black hair made his way over to them and sat in the free chair. “Yuuri! Thanks for meeting us. This is my friend Victor.” When brown eyes met his, the shock of it felt nearly electric. Yuuri’s eyes weren’t just brown the way most brown-eyed people’s were, Victor decided. They were specked with gold, expressive and warm. Even if the expression in them wasn’t.

“Nice to meet you, Victor. I have a dog with your name.”

Victor thought he was going to pass out. He gave Yuuri his brightest smile. “Oh? Named after me?”

The other man gave him a confused look. “No? This is my first time meeting you.”

Victor shrugged. “So? Doesn’t mean you haven’t heard of me.”

Chris snickered. “Ah, Victor, I’m pretty sure he HASN’T heard of you.”

“Should I have?” Yuuri asked Chris.

“Ah well, Victor here is an Instagram-star. World-famous, actually. THE Instagram-star, really.” Yuuri nodded slowly.

Victor was offended. Sure, he could understand the skater not being a fan of his but not even having heard of him?

“I don’t really use Instagram much. Sorry.”

“Ah, it’s fine.” He offered, even though it most certainly wasn’t – how could it be? Things really weren’t going according to plan, not that he had had much of one to begin with. He naturally assumed that the other man would be aware of his identity, at least.

It occurred to him that he maybe should have made a plan first. “Shall we order some food?” Chris asked, already handing them a menu each. Victor barely glanced at it before putting it down. Chris flagged down a waiter and placed his order for a salad – Victor himself got a paella. He was starving. Yuuri, after excessively studying the menu, ordered a chicken dish Victor didn’t recognise the name of.

“Not keeping the training diet?” Chris asked and Victor wanted to hit him – how could he be so RUDE to the other man?

To his surprise, Yuuri just smirked. “Not today. I deserve this.” Victor agreed – he deserved whatever he wanted, really.

“How come?” Victor WOULD hit Chris, as soon as they were alone.

“Well… I haven’t been able to keep much down because of stress lately.”

“You get stressed before competitions?”

“Yeah but it’s worse than normal. Uh, it’s going to sound stupid but my dog was in surgery while I skated. I couldn’t think of anything else, really. He’s been sick for a few days. I just found out he made it.”

“That’s wonderful! What sort of dog do you have?” Victor gushed and Yuuri’s eyes slid back to meet his own. He pulled out his phone.

“A toy poodle. He’s almost 12 now.” Victor practically squealed. He tapped on his phone for a few moments, giving Victor the chance to appreciate his elegant fingers… and the adorable phone case he had.

Yuuri held his phone out to him. “This is Victor, or Vicchan.” He took the phone to look. The dog was adorable. He handed it back, beaming at Yuuri while pulling out his own phone.

“You’re not going to believe this but I have a poodle as well. Standard poodle named Makkachin. This is her.” He didn’t miss the smile that played along Yuuri’s lips when he took the phone and looked at Victor’s beloved Makkachin.

Really, the only woman he’d ever loved. At least, that’s how he thought of her. Saying it out loud would likely get him killed by one of his many exes. Victor froze when Yuuri’s smile fell and he handed back the phone with an almost disgusted expression.

Victor stared down at it in confusion, only to cringe – at the top, he just caught the end of a notification – someone had sent him a photo. More specifically, a nude. “Oh god, I’m so sorry! That, it’s just-” He broke off, unsure how to explain.

Yuuri shrugged. “None of my business. Cute dog.” He very deliberately turned his attention to Chris and started talking to him about next day’s schedule. Victor felt about three inches tall. Clearly, his attempt at making a good impression had failed spectacularly.

Likely, the Japanese skater thought he was… well, to be fair, he sort of was straight. And a player. The fact that he had lost all interest in that as soon as he’d seen Yuuri skate was… unexpected, new, there were many words for it. Victor himself had gotten over his initial surprise quickly.

Years of acting on his whims made spontaneity easy, and much as he knew his interest in the other wasn’t passing, wasn’t just another way to spend his time, it made it VERY easy for him to go with it while he figured out the details of his new-found feelings.

He had never really fallen in love, certainly not at first glance, and he’d never had even the most passing interest in men, though he wasn’t blind to the fact that many gay men were attracted to him. His heart skipped a beat at the idea of Yuuri being attracted to him. Was he? Chris had said he was gay and he had seemed displeased enough by the naked redhead on his screen, but then that didn’t say much.

The man could simply be reserved or not like redheads. Him NOT being gay would definitely make things more difficult for Victor. Still, he wasn’t one to shy away from a challenge. Their food arrived and Victor started eating, still watching Yuuri. The man was… beautiful. He wasn’t sure that was the right thing to call another man, but it was true. Big, expressive eyes behind hideous glasses, messy black hair and pale complexion.

Though he was wearing a hoodie now, Victor knew that as an athlete he had to be in great shape. Really, the only problem was that Yuuri wasn’t paying him much attention at all. Even his conversation with Chris was a little… subdued. Victor stepped on his friend’s toes when the other started to get more and more exuberant, and thankfully Chris toned it down after that.

After eating, Victor decided to make his next attempt to strike up a conversation with the man he fully planned on making his as soon as possible. “So, Yuuri, when is your free program tomorrow?” He asked, beaming at the man. His smile had won over dozens of people. Surely, it would do the trick?

“Ah, since I came in last today, I’ll be up first. Should be at eleven.”

He nodded eagerly. “I’ll definitely be watching and cheering you on.”

“Uh, shouldn’t you cheer for Chris?” H

e glanced at his friend who was back to snickering. “Hm? Oh, not like he needs it.”

Victor froze, only realising the implication of his words a moment too late. “I see.” Yuuri said, his voice positively frosty. “It was nice to invite me for lunch, Chris. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He slipped a Euro-note onto the table and walked off before Victor could apologise or explain what he’d meant.

Chris started howling with laughter a moment later.

“That… was the best lunch I’ve EVER had! Who are you and what have you done with Victor the heart-throb?”

Victor groaned, burying his face in his hands. “It’s not FUNNY, Chris. I offended him! He saw that picture that stupid girl sent, and now...”

“Wait, what picture?”

Victor sighed. “Some starlet send me a nude JUST when I tried to show him that photo of Makkachin. What am I going to DO, Chris?” If Chris had helpful advice, he kept it to himself, choosing instead to laugh even harder.


	4. Chapter 4

To say Yuuri was pissed off would be an understatement. He’d only really accepted the lunch invitation because he’d been hungry. He couldn’t remember having a more awkward encounter. Not only WAS Chris ‘friend’ the silver-haired man that he’d caught staring, the man was…

He didn’t even want to think about it. Yuuri hadn’t changed clothes after putting on a tracksuit, yet the man sat there in an incredibly expensive-looking tailored suit. Yuuri hadn’t missed the way he’d studied him either. He felt underdressed, even though Chris was wearing a tracksuit just like him.

Then he’d made a fool of himself by not knowing the man was famous – clearly, he’d been a little offended. He’d actually enjoyed himself for a minute when the other had revealed that he had a poodle as well, and he’d seemed so delighted when he’d shown of Vicchan – and why had he even told him that they had the same name? Who did that? – and then when he’d handed over his phone, that message had popped up – it was just so AWKWARD.

Yuuri had looked away quickly of course, not wanting to violate the woman’s privacy, but really! How did things like that even happen to him? He’d hoped the ground would just open up and swallow him. Despite it all, Victor had remained relatively polite – until his comment at the end.

That was what had pissed him off, really. Yes, he knew Chris was leagues better than him – most of the skaters at the Grand Prix final were, but pretty much outright saying that unlike Chris he NEEDED to be cheered on… It had been the final straw.

He cringed when he remembered that he’d simply walked out, not even checking if the twenty he’d left would be enough to pay for his food and drink, and he’d high-tailed it straight back to his room where he immediately pulled out his phone and texted Phichit.

The Thai skater was his friend and room-mate in Detroit. He quickly typed out a short summary of what had happened and waited for his friend to respond – it never took long. Indeed, not two minutes later, Phichit skyped him. Unsurprisingly, he was already laughing before Yuuri could even say hello.

“Are you serious?”

“About the lunch? Unfortunately. Phichit, it was so AWKWARD!” He whined to his friend.

The other man giggled even harder. “Well, I can imagine. You said Chris friend was some Instagram-star? What’s his name? Maybe I know him.”

Yuuri shrugged. “Victor. Didn’t tell me his last name. Uh, silver hair, blue eyes, if that helps.”

Phichit froze. “Did you say VICTOR and SILVER hair?” He nodded, more than a little suspicious of his friend’s change in attitude. “That… wait.” He dropped his phone, scrambling for something.

Yuuri waited.

It didn’t take him long to pick up his phone again, and Yuuri found himself pointed at a computer screen. On said screen was a photo of a half-naked man in a typical gym selfie. “This one? Is this him?”

“Hold the phone still and I’ll tell you.” The phone stilled and the picture cleared. "Yes, that’s him. So you do know him?”

Phichit whined, turning the phone back to face himself. “Do I know Victor Nikiforov? Yuuri, you’re probably the only person between the ages of eight and eighty that DOESN’T. He’s THE social media starlet. I can’t BELIEVE you met him.”

Yuuri groaned. “He probably thinks I’m SO rude for not knowing him. Maybe that’s why he was mean to me?”

Phichit chuckled. “Could be, but I doubt it. He has a bit of a reputation for being, well, selfish.”

He shrugged – it didn’t really matter in the end. “So… you somehow had lunch with one most of the most popular men on the planet and Chris Giacometti and you walked out? What sort of useless gay ARE you?”

He groaned again flipping onto his side on his bed. “That’s not funny, Phichit. Not funny at all. I should’ve just said I’ve already eaten or something… urgh. Chris was nice enough but it was still SO embarrassing.”

His friend snorted. “Yeah I wish I’d been there. I’d have loved to see it, honestly.”

“Just… no. Who even randomly gets nudes like that?”

“Victor Nikiforov obviously. The man changes lovers more often than most people change underwear. Sorry to tell you though, he’s straight.”

Yuuri chuckled. “Firstly, I KNOW, it was a woman’s photo after all, secondly why are you SORRY? I’m not interested in him either way.”

“Uhm, Yuuri, have you seen him? Oh wait, don’t tell me he’s one of those who are ugly in person?”

“No not at all, he was gorgeous enough. Just, uh, not my type.”

Phichit sighed. “You have got to be joking, Yuuri. What part of rich, gorgeous, and famous isn’t your type?”

“Uhm, all three of those? You know I’m not like that. I’d much rather have an average-looking boyfriend with a nice personality.”

“Except that you, my dear Yuuri, have no boyfriend at all.”

“Look, Phichit, I’m tired. I don’t want to get in that old argument again.”

“All I’m saying is you had the chance to hit on one of the most attractive men on the planet and you didn’t.”

Yuuri grinned at his phone. “For a straight guy, you sound REMARKABLY jealous. Do we need to talk?”

Phichit stuck his tongue out – he’d been with his girlfriend for years, and despite her being in Thailand, he was more than happy with her, Yuuri knew. The fact that his straight friend was so… flamboyant, well it had led to a running joke about them needing to have a ‘conversation’.

As always, it relaxed Yuuri. Talking to his best friend usually did. They said their goodbyes not long after and Yuuri took a shower. It was technically too soon to go to bed but he still laid down under the covers with his phone. For the first time in months if not more, he opened Instagram and looked for Victor’s profile.

Not that he had to do much looking – in absence of content he followed, it showed him suggested people to follow and Victor was the very first one. He scrolled through the pictures. Phichit hadn’t been wrong – the man was beyond gorgeous.

He looked just as good in real life. Yuuri HAD noticed – it just didn’t matter. Straight or not, Yuuri would never just hit on someone, and he actively avoided attractive air-head types. Between the nude, his apparent career choice, and his plain rudeness, there was little doubt that that was exactly what Victor Nikiforov was.


	5. Chapter 5

Chris was still laughing when they were back in his hotel room. He hadn’t stopped laughing ONCE since Victor had mentioned the stupid nude. Chris was laughing TEARS by the time they sat down on Chris’ bed and Victor carelessly took off his suit, tossing it over a chair and slipping on something more comfortable.

“HOW am I going to make up for that? He’ll never forgive me now!”

Chris, seemingly finally fed up with laughing while Victor whined about his misery, cleared his throat. “Why are you even so interested in him all of a sudden? Surely if you’re into gay figure skaters, there are other options? I mean, uh, most of us are gay.”

Victor waved him off. “I don’t care. No, it has to be him. Chris, he’s just so amazing!”

“I don’t disagree in that he’s a good skater when he’s in top form but last I checked you don’t even care that much about figure skating.”

“Didn’t you see him skate today? He was just so… perfect. It didn’t even seem like he was dancing to the music, it was more like the music was following him. Chris, he’s the most perfect thing I’ve ever seen, I HAVE to have him.”

His friend gave him a contemplative look. “You’re… serious, aren’t you?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow, Victor, that’s… I thought you were joking earlier. This is… surprising to say the least. You’re not normally...”

Victor huffed. “What? Serious about anyone? Interested in men? A complete mess when trying to flirt? Trust me, I’m aware.”

A hand clasped his shoulder. “Alright then, as a friend, let me give you some advice.”

He turned to Chris. “Let it go. Yuuri Katsuki is shy, quiet and as far as I’m aware relatively boring. He’s absolutely none of the things you want in a lover, and I don’t just mean his gender.”

Victor shrugged off his hand. “I don’t care, Chris. Shy or whatever, it doesn’t matter. Do you know if he has someone?”

The skater shrugged. “Not as far as I know, but then he has almost no social media presence and he’s VERY private. He could be married for all I know.”

Victor fell backwards onto the hotel bed and cursed. “Married? You think he is? How old is he?” When he didn’t receive a reply, he looked up at Chris who was looking something up on his phone.

“Yuuri Katsuki, 23 years old, originally from Hasetsu, Japan. Not married. Currently living in Detroit. His coach is Celestino Cialdini. He won gold in Japan’s nationals last year and he’s been skating since he was about five. That’s all I can tell you.”

Victor smiled to himself. “Three years younger than me, hm?”

“More like four. His birthday was in November.”

Victor nodded again. “What am I going to do Chris? How do I get him interested in me?”

His friend stretched out next to him. “Not insulting his skating is a great start. What were you thinking anyway?”

“I was trying to say that obviously, I’d cheer him on and not you since I don’t care how you’ll do.”

“Wow, charming.”

“Chrissss...” He whined and his friend sighed.

“No, I get it. It’s fine, really. This isn’t a very good idea though, Victor. Odds are, you won’t be able to get together with him.”

He choked down the sting of it and covered his face with his arm. “I HAVE to, Chris.”

“Love at first sight, huh?” The other man asked, his voice surprisingly solemn for once.

He nodded miserably. “There’s some kind of cosmic justice for your heart-breaking ways here, I’m sure. Still… I’ll help you. I’ve never seen you so serious.”

“I’ve never felt this way either.”

“Oh Victor...” Chris sighed. “I’ll talk to him tomorrow, okay?” Victor nodded, laying in misery for another minute before pulling out his phone – it hadn’t even occurred to him to look for Yuuri online, and he felt pretty idiotic for it.

Like Chris had said, his Instagram was painfully empty, the last post almost a year ago and he only followed three or four people and pages. In total, there were five pictures on his page, Yuuri was in four of them. Victor was delighted when he found that off-season, Yuuri apparently gained a little weight. Chubby Yuuri was adorable, much as current Yuuri was handsome.

Unfortunately, he could only stare at those five pictures for so long – two featured his poodle. Victor had been over the MOON when Yuuri had said he had one as well – what were the odds after all? He idly wondered if they would get along and if he could somehow engineer an ‘accidental’ meeting to find out.

Detroit wasn’t THAT far from his home in LA, right? Yeah, right.

He sighed.

The only person that Yuuri followed that seemed to be quite active was a Phichit Chulanont. Out of curiosity, he scanned his profile – he had a fair few followers and was, apparently, a figure skater as well. Victor’s heart skipped a beat when he found the first photo of Yuuri. He looked more closely – the other skater’s feed had plenty of photos of his Yuuri.

Photos of them having dinner together, of either Yuuri or both of them skating, photos of them at parties. Victor was delighted, especially when it became obvious that the two of them weren’t an item – none of the photos gave off that sort of vibe and there were several photos of Phichit and a particular girl, always with Thai captions. A girlfriend, probably.

So, a new folder appeared on Victor’s phone – one labelled ‘Yuuri <3’.

He saved just about every photo of him he could find in the folder – it wasn’t a lot, all in all. Victor had some eight thousand photos on his own phone, a great deal of which were selfies – by comparison, the forty-odd photos he found by going back three years in Phichit’s timeline were nothing.

Now, Victor was well aware that he was being more than a little creepy about his interest in Yuuri – he did, however, not have too much of a choice. He didn’t learn all that much. Yuuri and Phichit were room-mates, and, apparently rink-mates. They seemed to have the same coach as well. Beyond that… there wasn’t much.

Still, it was a start.

Victor rolled to his back, holding his phone above him. Chris was taking a shower – he only felt mildly embarrassed when he pressed a kiss to his phone and thought about hopefully, soon, getting the beautiful man that was Yuuri Katsuki to smile.


	6. Chapter 6

Yuuri wanted to cry. He’d spent the night tossing and turning, hardly able to sleep. For some reason the room adjacent to his seemed to have felt the need to stomp around all night, a couple arguing apparently. He considered complaining to them but decided against it.

Not only was it not his style to interrupt others but he was also more than a little worried about making it worse – he had no idea what had gone on after all. So, instead he’d tossed and turned until they had quieted down...and his nerves had taken over the top spot of reasons he couldn’t sleep.

His coach took one look at him and cursed – Yuuri knew it well enough. He looked like hell.

It only got worse when he went down to the prep-room. Technically speaking, only event staff, skaters and coaches were allowed in. Apparently, also Instagram-stars because nobody seemed to have told Victor Nikiforov that he wasn’t supposed to be there.

Clad in another expensive suit – this time, in grey – he was leaning against a wall, chatting to a few of the other skaters there. Everyone, including most of the coaches, seemed positively enamoured with the man, casually hanging out in a place he had no business being.

Remembering how horribly awkward their introduction had gone, Yuuri cast his eyes down and walked past Victor as quickly as he could, ducking into a changing room to put on his costume, trying to calm his nerves down all the while. Being the first to skate was… not his favourite thing in the world.

Of course, coming face-to-face with Victor Nikiforov upon exiting his changing room wasn’t either. Now devoid of adoring fans, he stood in the hallway alone, presumably waiting. “Hello, Yuuri.” “Victor.” He cautiously replied.

“I came to wish you good luck today. And… to apologise for yesterday.”

Yuuri pressed his lips into a thin line, his temper flaring. “So you decided to sneak into an area you’re not supposed to be in right before my performance?”

Ice-blue eyes widened as the man stepped back in surprise. Whatever reaction he’d been expecting, it clearly wasn’t that one.

“Uh, I meant no harm? I was just… I know I sounded dismissive of your skating yesterday and that wasn’t my intention. I was actually trying to compliment you. You’re… you’re sort of my favourite skater in the competition.”

Yuuri raised an eyebrow at the other’s words – while he was willing to believe that it had been a misunderstanding, that sort of thing happened – he very much doubted that HE was the favourite of Chris Giacometti’s guest.

“I… see.”

“So, anyway, I’ll definitely be cheering for you, okay?”

Yuuri nodded slowly. “Could you do me a favour though?”

Victor leaned forward, thousand-watt-smile beaming. “Anything!”

Yuuri sighed. “Get out of the prep area and back to where visitors are allowed?” He watched the other man deflate visibly and ran his hands through his now-gelled-back hair in frustration.

Had he been too rude? Should he have said it more politely? He suppressed a groan when Victor’s smile returned, a little more pained this time. “Yeah, you’re right, I should go. Sorry for disturbing you. And, uh, good luck.” With that he turned and walked down the corridor – his path would lead him directly to the bottom of the stands.

Yuuri looked after him, suddenly worried he’d offended the man a little too much, and really hadn’t he sounded too strict? He tried to think of something to say, some way to make it better. “Victor?” He called, the other man already several steps away. He half-turned, stopping mid-stride.

“Keep your eyes on me when I skate, okay?” Yuuri internally cringed. That… had really not been what he’d meant to say. At all. He’d MEANT to thank him for his support, had meant to say something smooth, something friendly even. Unfortunately, his eyes had then met Victor’s – spectacular of course, he had to admit – and somehow he’d ended up blurting what was easily the dumbest thing he’d ever said to another human being.

Turning around, he walked away on his skates, praying the other man would just pretend he hadn’t said anything, or that he hadn’t heard it, or better yet that he would never ever see him ever again because that would still be too soon.


	7. Chapter 7

“Chris I need a drink.” Victor said as soon as he let himself drop onto the bench next to his friend. Since his own performance was still a while off, he’d agreed to sit with Victor in the lower ranks until it was time for him to prepare.

“What stupid thing happened this time?”

Victor groaned at the delighted tone in Chris’ voice. “I, uh, nothing really. He walked in, saw me, ignored me, walked past. So I waited for him to come back out of his changing room, and uh, when he did, I sort of blanked.”

Chris snickered, turning his attention fully to his friend. “I just started babbling it was horrible. And then he just sort of nodded and accepted it and then he told me I needed to get out of the prep area...” Victor took a shuddering breath. “And then I was already leaving, embarrassed as all hell but he called me back...”

“Deep breaths. What did he say?”

“He just… he just told me to keep my eyes on him when he skates. HOW is he so COOL, Chris? He said that and then walked off like it was nothing! I thought my knees were going to give out!” Chris lightly patted Victor’s shoulder.

“Odds are he didn’t even mean to say that. He’s REALLY awkward in interviews and such.” Victor whimpered. The Yuuri he had seen had been a little distant, a little cold and absolutely swoon-worthy.

“So are you going to do it?”

“Do what?”

“Keep your eyes on him?”

Victor shot his friend an incredulous glare. “As if I wasn’t going to do that anyway. Now I’m just going to do it with weak knees.” Chris laughed at him – Victor was starting to get used to it, a faint blush creeping onto his cheeks.

“Ohhh is that really the great Victor Nikiforov blushing? Never thought I’d see the day.”

“I’m so glad my pain is funny to you, Chris.”

“Oh relax, I said I’d help you, didn’t I? You’re coming to the banquet with me. Odds are he’ll be there.”

“This helps me how?”

Chris grinned at him. “It’s for mingling with sponsors and his coach makes him go. Katsuki, however, hates mingling. So, he’ll be in a corner, drinking.”

Victor looked over at Chris. “What are you suggesting? That I take advantage of him while he’s drunk?”

“I know you better than that, Victor. No, I’m suggesting you get to know him better when he’s a bit tipsy and no longer stressed from the competition.”

Victor nodded, slowly, thoughtfully. He could do that. “Oh look, your new lover is up.” Chris pointed out and before Victor could complain, he spotted Yuuri and his coach coming out of the prep area, already dressed only in his costume.

He hadn’t seen it properly earlier, had been too busy worrying about his words to pay attention, but from a few feet away, he could now admire Yuuri’s outfit. A blue suit-like jacket that looked wonderful with his colouring – he looked spectacular.

He looked a little less worried too, at least compared to the day before. Victor felt his heart beat faster as the Japanese man stepped out on the ice and skated a circle before taking his position in the middle. He held his breath as the music started playing and Yuuri started moving.

The second performance was different, the movements, melodies and steps were all different. Victor couldn’t have looked away if his life depended on it, Yuuri’s request to watch him still on his mind. He could have sworn that for a moment – juts a moment – during the performance their eyes met, electricity shooting down his spine yet again.

His performance was beautiful, his only mistake one botched jump that nearly had him falling. When Yuuri stepped off the ice, he was smiling, a small, pleased smile that made Victor’s stomach turn upside down. His eyes followed Yuuri to the Kiss & Cry, conveniently just a few paces to their right, and watched as the scores were announced.

Victor lamented his complete lack of figure skating knowledge – he had no idea whether the score was good or not. Chris whistled quietly. “Are those scores good? Chris?”

The other man chuckled. “Try to be a little less obvious, my friend. And yes, they’re good. If he’d done better yesterday he’d be on the podium today. Might still be if someone messes up big.”

He was absolutely elated, proud even, for the other man. “Chris! Can we go congratulate him?”

“No. I have to get ready and YOU need to stay here. You’ll see him at the banquet. Wish me luck.” Muttering a quick ‘good luck’ to his friend, he kept his eyes glued to Yuuri.

Pretty much as soon as Chris was out of sight, Victor was out of his seat and on his way to see Yuuri.


	8. Chapter 8

He’d done it. He hadn’t choked, his performance had gone almost perfectly. He was so… satisfied with himself he hardly even minded the one proper mistake he HAD made. His coach thought differently – Celestino started complaining practically as soon as he was off the ice.

Yuuri knew he meant well, knew that he could have done better, really… but he wanted to be satisfied with what he HAD achieved. Tuning Celestino out, he set about unlacing his skates when another pair of feet stepped into his field of vision. They were easy enough to recognise simply because the shoes looked like they were worth a small fortune.

Yuuri pressed his eyes shut for a moment, irrationally hoping he might leave – of course not. So, deciding to just face whatever new humiliation might be coming, he leaned up…

Only to come fact to face with a literally starry-eyed Victor. Ice-blue eyes sparkling and a huge, rather dopey smile on his face, he looked nothing like his Instagram pictures. Yuuri found his hands snatched and himself yanked up moments later. They were the same height, he distractedly noticed, at least in his skates.

“That was AMAZING! Your performance was so amazing! I loved watching you skate!”

Yuuri felt himself blush, not used to the open praise, the admiration even, that was so obvious in Victor’s eyes. “I… thank you?” He offered, not sure how to react. Victor released his hands, eventually, but only to wrap his own around his body.

Enveloped in what was probably one of the warmest and most pleasant hugs he’d ever experienced, he relaxed into it immediately, instinctively. Victor was babbling something into his ear, not that Yuuri was quite listening – he was too stunned by how… nice being hugged by Victor felt.

After a moment his brain caught up and he leaned back, hoping for the other man to release him. He did – Yuuri felt cold. Still, free to move once again, he sat back down while Victor still praised everything he liked about his performance.

“I didn’t know you knew THE Victor Nikiforov, Yuuri.” His coach said when Victor finally finished.

“Not you too, coach...” Yuuri whined.

Victor just laughed. “Oh, he doesn’t really! We only just met yesterday. I like him though.” He only barely stopped himself from reacting to the unexpected comment.

He could have died in shame when Celestino chuckled and asked Victor why. Deciding he was done with both of them, he bent back over and slipped off his half-open skates in record time. Since his shoes were already sitting next to him, he slipped them on and stood.

If either of the two called after him, he didn’t notice. It was an easy decision to head straight back to his hotel room, never mind that he originally wanted to watch the other performances. His phone out instantly, tears prickled in his eyes when he saw that Mari had sent him a photo of Vicchan and her parents smiling next to him.

Phichit had messaged him as well – given that his friend and him shared his coach, he called him immediately. Despite the time difference, his friend picked up quickly. “Yuuri! How did you do?”

He chuckled. “I almost met my personal best. It went really well.”

“Then why do you sound so… upset?”

“It’s stupid.”

“Not if it upset you.”

He sighed. “It’s Victor Nikiforov again. I made a complete fool of myself in front of him and then he came and congratulated me and although I did so well, coach was scolding me… and then somehow it ended up that Victor hugged me and Victor started talking to him instead? I have no idea what actually happened but I kind of ran away.”

His friend made a sympathetic noise. “That’s really crap of Ciao Ciao.”

“I still made mistakes so it’s not like I couldn’t have done better, I just felt a little like I deserved a moment, you know?”

“No, I get that. And Victor...”

“He said he liked me? I mean how does he even know I exist?”

Phichit snorted. “You’re Japan’s ace, Yuuri? It’s really not that out there. Besides, does it matter? He’s a pretty cool guy to have as your fan.”

“Oh you know I don’t really have that many fans like that!” His friend sighed – they never seemed to agree on that particular topic.

“Well, either way, you’ve done it, the Grand Prix is over. How does it feel?”

Yuuri chuckled. “Overwhelming? I’m really… tired.”

“I get that… man I can’t wait until I qualify next year. We’re going to be on a podium together!”

He laughed softly. “You’re more interested in being on a podium with Chris, admit it.” Phichit idolised Chris – why, Yuuri wasn’t quite sure, but he had always admired his style of skating.

“Well, the podium has three spots right? Me in first, Chris second and you can have third.”

“Really? You’re giving your best friend bronze?”

“Yuuri, you know I love you but what would you do?”

He laughed. “Yeah, yeah, I get it. It’s fine, really. I’m just a bit touchy. It’s been a tense few days.”

“Hey you can always let loose at the banquet tomorrow, right?”

“You know I hate those things. I’ll just stand in a corner and drink until coach lets me go to bed.”

“Aw, but Yuuri, drunk you is so FUN!”

“I’m not getting drunk, Phichit.”

“No but you COULD.”

“I’ve made a fool of myself more than enough already, don’t you think?”


	9. Chapter 9

Victor was really, well and truly fed up with making a fool of himself in front of Yuuri. It seemed to happen every time he saw the man. Yanking him out of his seat? Hugging a practical stranger? Yuuri had simply WALKED OFF and Victor couldn’t even blame him. He’d been polite to his coach and then gone off in search of Yuuri, hoping for an opportunity to apologise.

Instead, all he found was a gaggle of event organisers that were his fans. Unable to ditch them, he put on his best smile and took photos with them all. Being famous had its downsides. He just barely made it back in time to watch the second half of Chris’ program – thankfully his friend understood why he’d missed part of the performance.

Chris got hounded for autographs plenty, after all, even when they were out in public together. He had defended his top spot on the podium of course, ending up the winner. Yuuri had narrowly missed the podium, a point and a half below third, and a quarter of a point up from fifth. Victor thought he had done really well – he was one of the top skaters in the world, clearly.

Even Chris had admitted as much, and he normally kept praise mainly to himself unless he was flirting. He hadn’t told Chris about going to see Yuuri, about hugging him, certainly not about how good it had felt to touch him.

He’d been embarrassed by his lack of control even as he practically melted against the man’s body. Victor was affectionate – he hugged people all the time, but he had absolutely no problem noticing how unique, how different Yuuri had been.

He’d hugged Chris after his performance just to check, but he’d felt nothing, nothing like the overwhelming warmth Yuuri had caused. Later, half a bottle vodka with Chris later, in their hotel-room, he’d tried to press for more details about Yuuri, but Chris hadn’t been altogether too helpful about it all. By then, Victor had already watched just about every YouTube video that existed of Yuuri performing, of Yuuri giving interviews, of everything.

He didn’t speak a word of Japanese, yet he still happily stared at Yuuri giving interviews in his native language. He liked the sound of it, liked how it made his voice change a little, how it gave him a note of confidence it seemed to lack in English.

He liked Yuuri confident, liked the look of self-assuredness Yuuri had when he skated. “Oy, Victor! I asked you a question!”

He shook off his thoughts, focusing back on the slightly tipsy Chris. “Sorry, I wasn’t listening. What did you say?”

“I asked if you’re serious about wanting to marry Katsuki.”

“Of course!”

“I see. And you’ve thought that through, yeah? You don’t even know him!”

Victor grinned. “No, but I will. I’ll get to know everything there is to know about him. Do you think Yuuri Nikiforov or Victor Katsuki sounds better?”

Chris howled with laughter. “My vote is for Katsuki-Nikiforov.”

Victor pursed his lips. “Too long.”

“You know you’re acting like a besotted middle schooler, right?”

He grinned at his friend. “I do. It just feels so wonderful.”

“Victor in love… who would have thought. And with a man to boot.”

“I certainly didn’t expect it.”

“What do you like about him?”

Victor sighed, taking another drink. “He’s gorgeous. You’re gay! Surely you think he’s gorgeous?”

Chris snickered. “Well he’s cute I guess, but not my type.”

“Clearly, you have no taste.”

“If anything, you’re more my type. I don’t go for the sweet-looking ones, you know.”

Victor winked at him. “Clearly you have SOME taste. But no, he’s adorable. He’s also so talented. The way he moves on the ice just makes me shiver. He’s also so cool and still kind of nice. I mean, I made such a fool of myself and he still speaks to me! Hugging him felt so NICE!”

Victor froze, realising his mistake.

“And when did you hug him exactly?”

Wincing, he poured Chris another drink. “When I went to congratulate him during that time you told me not to go to him.”

“Do you EVER do what you’re told?”

“Not if I can help it.”

“And you just hugged him?”

“It felt wonderful. He was so… so warm. I don’t know how to describe it, he just fit against me so perfectly.”

Chris gave him a strange smile. “You really sound like you’re in love.”

“That’s what I’ve been telling you.”

“I know but Victor it seems a little unlikely, don’t you think? Have you ever been with a guy?” He emptied his glass before shaking his head.

“Never. What’s it like?”

Chris snorted, dissolving into giggles. “Are you seriously asking me, at your age, what gay sex is like? Go out and have some if you’re curious.”

Victor scoffed. “But I don’t want to have sex with anyone that isn’t Yuuri.”

“And you’re sure you want to have it with him? No offence Victor but I don’t think you really do.”

He shrugged. “How different can it be? Have you been with a woman?”

“When I was younger. It’s very different. Also, I’d like to change the topic, please.”

Victor scoffed. “Don’t tell me I somehow made YOU uncomfortable? You practically hump the ice every time you skate!”

“And yet I don’t want to play sex ed with my straight 26-year-old friend. Certainly not while drinking alone in a hotel room. Matthias would never forgive me.”

Victor laughed. Chris’ relationship was private, something he managed to keep out of the public eye somehow. People didn’t know he was in a relationship at all, much less with who. Victor had only met the other man once, and though the lawyer had been perfectly polite, he’d gotten the distinct impression that Matthias hadn’t been so keen on him.

Despite rumours otherwise, there wasn’t and had never been anything between him and Chris. The closest he’d come to being with a man was a drunk guy trying to grind on him in a club and getting a swift kick in the balls for it, and a drunken make-out session when he’d been curious in college. He hadn’t enjoyed either, of course, but Yuuri was different, would be different, he knew.


	10. Chapter 10

The banquet fast-approaching, Yuuri seriously hoped that he’d be able to get away with not going. There was always the chance that his coach would forget to pick him up, or maybe take pity on him… but no. Half an hour before the official start, he showed up to make sure Yuuri put on his suit – the only one he owned – and went.

Yuuri wasn’t desperate enough to pretend he was sick – not that Cialdini would have believed him, not with his dislike of events so well-known. He dreaded the day he was actually sick for one of these things because nobody would believe he wasn’t faking.

Sighing as he straightened out his tie in the mirror, he slipped his phone into his pocket. With no further reason to delay, he followed his coach down to the main banquet hall, prepared for an evening of boredom and hand-shaking with people he didn’t care about.

Taking a look around, there were only two positive surprises – a table with countless glasses of champagne meaning he wouldn’t even have to talk to waiters to get any, and Victor Nikiforov wasn’t around, meaning he wouldn’t have to be careful not to embarrass himself around the other.

What exactly it was about him that made this so frequent, he had no idea. Certainly, his good looks it could be, or his obvious wealth, his friendship with Chris… he sighed into his first glass of champagne. Thankfully he was only a day away from flying back to Detroit, a place he knew for a fact Victor Nikiforov would not be – his investigation of the man’s Instagram the day before had revealed he lived in Los Angeles.

Fitting really. He snickered into his glass, then, moments later, he downed the whole thing with a groan. Apparently thinking about the man was enough to summon him because he had just walked in, Chris’ arm wrapped around his shoulders, laughing.

Yuuri reached for the next glass. It was going to be a long evening.


	11. Chapter 11

Victor spotted Yuuri as soon as he walked in, whatever joke Chris had told him immediately forgotten. Yuuri was wearing a suit – cheap, off the rack. Nursing a glass of champagne, he clearly didn’t want to be there… just like Chris had said.

He whispered a quick thank you to his friend before being practically swarmed by fans. It was a little ridiculous, he thought, but then he was standing next to the Grand Prix winner. Chris had even brought his gold medal – it was his second one, after taking silver the year before.

All Victor wanted was to go talk to Yuuri who seemed content to watch from the corner. Unfortunately for him, there were far too many people that wanted to talk to him. He’d always enjoyed the attention, enjoyed the admiration and everything with it. At that banquet, he suddenly wanted nothing to do with it all.

He was also a little concerned. Yuuri was chugging down champagne like it was going out of fashion – he was well past a bottle in the first hour or so, and the most adorable pink flush spread out across his cheeks as he drank.

Pulled away by yet another selfie request from a blushing woman – a skater, one he may have flirted with in different circumstances – he couldn’t quite find Yuuri when he turned back. Chris had gone to speak to a Russian skater, one Victor didn’t know. He hadn’t competed against Yuuri and was therefore largely irrelevant. Victor ended up in a corner, surveying the room for his Yuuri when the man found him instead.

Seemingly out of nowhere, he not just approached him but actually wrapped his arms around Victor’s neck. Victor was delighted of course… until he processed the fact that Yuuri wasn’t just tipsy but outright hammered. He was unsteady on his feet, giggly and altogether too excited.

When Yuuri pulled back, he let him go, frozen in place by the sheer shock of the drunken hug. It only worsened when Yuuri proceeded to start dancing. Not just any dancing either – flat-out ballet moves.

He was GOOD. Yuuri danced like he skated and Victor was mesmerised.

It didn’t take long for him to get bored though, and a skater, the one Chris had been talking to, said something to him. Going by his face it had probably been rude, but Yuuri simply laughed him off before pulling the smaller man along by the arm.

Next thing he knew, the two were involved in a dance-battle. It was glorious. Victor had his phone out, taking photos and filming bits of it before he even noticed. Yuuri, his magnificent Yuuri was absolutely wiping the floor with the kid, breakdancing moves interspersed with ballet and god knows what else.

Victor hadn’t had that much fun in years. Cheering Yuuri on eventually drew the man’s attention, just when the Russian finally gave up. Moments later, Yuuri was back over by his side, his suit-jacket discarded, a thin sheen of sweat on his skin.

He looked beautiful. “Dance with me, Victor.” were the only words he said before yanking Victor with him, to the middle of the impromptu dance-floor that had somehow formed. Of course, it never even occurred to Victor to resist. He knew how to dance, sort of at least.

He did NOT know how to dance with Yuuri Katsuki.

Thankfully Yuuri seemed to know enough for both of them, and so Victor found himself swept up, whisked off his feet, dipped, twirled, spun and at one magical moment LIFTED by the younger man. It should have irked him, he thought, that he wasn’t leading, but the fact that the shorter Japanese man simply MADE his body move how he wanted it… it was an intoxicating feeling.

When they came to a stop, Victor dipped low, his leg higher up than he’d thought he could ever move it, held up simply by Yuuri’s arm and staring into his eyes he realised that if he hadn’t loved him already, he’d have fallen for him then and there. Yuuri was absolutely magical.

Eventually Yuuri lost interest, moving on to something else, leaving Victor breathless, his heart pounding, leaning against a wall for support. Yuuri’s behaviour had drawn any and all attention away from him, leaving him a rare moment of complete privacy as he tried – and failed – to collect himself.

Chris found him leaning against the wall and offered him a glass of whiskey. He choked it down in one swallow and stood straight. “That was one mating dance, ey?” Chris teased.

Victor grabbed his friend by the shoulders. “Tell me you took photos, that you filmed it. I HAVE to have those photos!”

His friend smirked. “Check your phone. Already sent you everything I got. I have to admit, you two look… stunning together, somehow. Papa Chris approves.” Somehow, his friend’s approval actually… meant something to him, pleased him. If other people could see how they were perfect, then hopefully, Yuuri would too, when sober again.

Someone called Chris away and Victor did his best to wipe his giddy smile off his face. Checking his photos, he found that Chris had sent him well over thirty. Everything immediately wandered into his ‘Yuuri <3’ folder, right before he renamed it to ‘Yuuri <3<3’.

The next time he looked up from his phone, his legs actually gave out under him and he had to catch himself on a nearby chair or he would have fallen to the ground. Whimpering pathetically, he tried to process the fact that Yuuri knew how to pole-dance.

He’d taken off his shoes, his trousers, had unbuttoned his shirt, and somehow, a pole had appeared in the banquet hall. It was pure madness. Victor took photo after photo, not really surprised when Chris joined in mere moments later, clad only in a tiny excuse of red underwear.

Well, it wasn’t anything he hadn’t seen before. What he certainly HADN’T seen before was them pole-dancing together, easily slipping into moves that made it look like they had practised the routine for years.

When they lazily spun around the pole, Chris’ weight supported entirely by Yuuri’s arm, Yuuri higher up on the pole Victor felt an unfamiliar, blinding rage bubble up in his chest – jealousy, he realised a moment later, rather dumb-founded.

He’d never felt it before and it burned. When Chris fell into an upside-down split a moment later, and Yuuri came to stand on his thighs – somehow – Victor snapped out of it and continued to photograph. Jealous or not, the pure joy on Yuuri’s face was a sight to behold, one to be captured and kept forever.

It was over almost too soon when Chris hopped off the pole, leaving Yuuri to perform a few more moves before getting off too. Someone tossed him his pants which he very nearly failed to put on before several people crowded him, chatting excitedly. Chris appeared by his side, his own suit back on. “Your Yuuri is a heavenly dancer.”

Victor nodded, smiling dreamily in his direction. “He is, isn’t he? You do that again and you won’t be competing next season, Giacometti.”

Chris whistled. “Jealous? So unlike you, Victor.” He shrugged it off. It wasn’t like him and he didn’t care. He liked the way he felt – not the jealousy, that was horrible – just the sheer intensity of it. It was almost dizzying.

“You should probably go and rescue your lover before someone else makes a move on him. A few people have been ogling him for a while… oh never mind, there’s his coach.” A disgruntled looking Celestino – he’d introduced himself before – yanked Yuuri from the middle of the little group that had formed, angrily hissing something at him and dragging him towards the exit.

Victor had dashed over and stopped him before he could help himself. “Celestino! Taking him back to his room?”

“Oh! Hey Victor! Yes, I have to. He’s made a fool of himself. Of course he did, just as soon as I walked out. Typical!”

Victor swallowed heavily. “Want me to take him to his room? I, uh, wanted to leave anyway. It’s gotten a bit wild.”

Celestino blinked once, then looked at Yuuri and over at Victor. “Room 3903, third floor. Appreciate the help, there are still sponsors I need to talk to.” He nodded, an understanding expression on his face while he gently pried Yuuri from Celestino. The man was only half-conscious now, sagging against Victor easily, stumbling along when Victor led him out and to the elevator.

“Where’re’re we g-going?” Yuuri slurred as they entered the elevator.

“To your room. You need to lie down.”

For some reason, this was apparently hilarious to Yuuri. “Are you coming with me?” Victor chuckled, amused by his behaviour.

“Mhm, I’ll be taking you to your room.”

Yuuri whistled and lurched towards Victor who caught him easily. “You’ll be taking me to bed, huh? You’re definitely probably the prettiest man to ever do that.” Victor blushed at the compliment, his heart beating faster.

It was only the meaningless ramble of a half-passed-out drunk… but Yuuri had called him pretty and he loved it. “Is that so? Am I pretty?” He couldn’t help but ask, curious to see if he could push for more praise.

“Mhm… the prettiestest. ‘S a shame that you’re not my type.” Victor felt sick, the elevator doors opening on their floor.

“Oh?” He yanked Yuuri out of the elevator, stumbling down the hall.

“I like nice men. Kind, funny. N-not pretty. You’re sooooo pretty though!” He giggled.

So… Yuuri cared more about personality than looks? What sort of person did Yuuri think he was to be ‘not-his-type’? Of course, Victor realised the answer as they reached Yuuri’s door. The kind that received nudes during lunch. The kind with a million televised love affairs, the kind who did nothing with his life other than take pretty pictures.

A heavy pit settled into his stomach.

Opening the door with Yuuri’s key, he pulled the other inside and all but threw him onto the bed. Elegant even while drunk beyond reason, Yuuri landed easily on his stomach and all but bounced up into a sitting position. Victor sighed as he joined him, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Viiiiictor?”

He sighed. “Yes, Yuuri?” Firm hands settled on his cheeks, holding his face in place. For a moment, Victor considered pulling away before deciding against it. Whatever the other wanted to do, he’d let it happen.

“You know… you know, right?”

“What do I know?” Yuuri leaned closer and for a moment, one tragic, glorious moment, Victor thought he might kiss him… however, he simply stopped moving, their faces inches apart.

“You know you have the most beautiful eyes right? ‘S unfair how pretty. And silver lashes. So… gorgeous.”

The pit in his stomach lightened a little, the sting of being dismissed as a potential partner lessening under Yuuri’s attention. “I like your eyes too, Yuuri.” He honestly answered – even drunk, the brown eyes were lit up with joy, with emotion.

“That’s weird. Why do you like eyes? Weirrrrd Victor!” Yuuri declared, pulling back. Victor sighed, refusing to get into an argument with a drunk about why it was fine for Yuuri to like his eyes but not the other way around.

When Yuuri laid down on the bed, he set about unlacing his shoes and putting them to the side so he’d be more comfortable. His tie, a hideous, hideous blue thing that had been around his head more than around his neck that evening was pulled off too and chucked straight into the trash bin in the corner.

He hesitated a little at his belt, but since Yuuri had been comfortable enough taking his clothes off in the banquet hall, he was relatively sure it was fine for him to remove it. It felt strangely intimate as Yuuri watched him through hooded eyes, watched as he unbuckled the belt and yanked it off.

When Yuuri lifted his hips, arching up and almost against Victor, he realised why it felt so intimate to him. He was hard, for some reason, despite not having so much as kissed the other. It was a little humiliating, actually.

Victor felt like an absolute pig. He hadn’t, wouldn’t touch Yuuri in an inappropriate manner. Still, his body had reacted to… something. He didn’t know what it was but he felt guilty for it nonetheless. He backed off quickly, dropping Yuuri’s belt on the other bed.

“Victorrrr?” Yuuri half-whined, half-purred.

“Y-Yes?”

“Do you want to play a game? With me? It’s a good game!”

Swallowing thickly, he shook his head no. “We, uh, probably shouldn’t play games right now. You’re drunk. Ask me again when you’re sober.”

“You’ll play… with me when you’re sober?”

Victor thought to himself that he would play absolutely anything the man asked if he did it looking like he was. “Sure, Yuuri. That’d be fun, right?” Yuuri giggled.

“Of course it’s fun! It’s a game. Ne, Victor, do you speak Japanese?”

“No, I don’t.”

“’S fun. You should try it. Come here, I’ll teach you some.” Chuckling, he stepped closer, curious why he needed to be close to Yuuri to learn but too fascinated to refuse twice. He had his morals, but he wasn’t a saint.

He regretted it a moment later when deft fingers snatched for his wrist, tugging him forwards, over Yuuri and almost immediately under the man when he rolled them over. Pressed to the bed, wrists pinned by Yuuri, the man staring down at him with gleaming eyes, Victor went from half-hard to raging in a heartbeat.

Unfortunately for him, Yuuri’s grip was iron and despite his own, considerable strength, he couldn’t free himself, not without hurting the other man. He gave up after a moment. “Yuuri, you need to let me up.”

“Whyyyy? This is funnn. Don’t you think it’s funny?”

He choked a laugh – he was enjoying it but he didn’t quite think it was funny. Indeed, he didn’t want it happening at all, not like that. Before he could respond or ask the other man to move again, Yuuri’s eyes fluttered closed and he collapsed, like a puppet with its strings cut.

His body came down hard, crashing into Victor’s, his head landing mostly on the pillow, face turned towards Victor’s cheek. He’d have been delighted, had it not been for the fact that Yuuri’s left knee hit him right where it counted, and with deadly accuracy. He grunted, the pain blinding for a moment, before Yuuri stretched a little and practically moulded himself to Victor.

Eyes watering from the pain, he hardly had a chance to admire how perfect the passed-out Yuuri felt against his side. The perfect height, build, perfect everything.

Slowly, carefully, he wriggled away, freeing the arm that Yuuri was using as a pillow and then inching off the bed. His heart beating far too fast, pain still echoing through his body, he scrambled towards the door.

At the last moment, he paused, looking back at Yuuri. Cursing softly, he went to the bathroom, poured him a glass of water and put it on the bedside table. Then, because he was a weak person and because he thought he deserved an apology for nearly being castrated, he snapped a quick photo of Yuuri asleep in his bed, curled around a pillow, the picture of innocence. As a last gesture, he pulled off Yuuri’s glasses to fold them and set them aside and then limped towards the door.

Pulling it closed behind him was one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do.

He didn’t get two steps from the door before he came face-to-face with an angry Chris.


	12. Chapter 12

“What the HELL, Victor? I thought you said you WOULDN’T touch him?”

Victor blinked. “I… what? I DIDN’T!”

His friend scoffed.

“Then explain to me why you’re limping out of his room half an hour after you supposedly dropped him off.”

He winced. That did give off a certain impression. “Nothing happened.”

“Then why are you limping?”

“I’ll explain if you give me a hand to our room. I can’t walk right now.”

Chris studied him for a moment, then nodded and pulled him up, a steadying arm around his shoulder. “Now spill.” Victor took a deep breath.

“So he told me I was pretty in the elevator. It was lovely. Then he said I wasn’t his type. Not so lovely.”

“Skip to the part where you get that limp.” Chris punched the elevator button.

“Uh, so I was taking off his shoes, his belt, trying to make him comfortable.”

Chris gave him a sour look. “Totally to be nice, right? No other motive?”

He winced. “No, not at first. Then I, uh, sort of noticed I was kind of… well, you know.”

“I swear to god you are so close to being dumped into the pool on the roof.”

“It’s DECEMBER, Chris! I’d die!”

“You’re Russian, you wouldn’t die.”

He whined. “Anyway, he got a hold of my wrist and tugged and then somehow I ended up pressed to the bed with him on top of me. And uh, my problem got… worse.”

“You don’t say?”

“He’s so STRONG, Chris! I tried to get away, but I couldn’t!”

Chris sighed. “That I can believe – he held me on the pole and I’m heavier than him!”

“Well, anyway, I just kind of laid there, waiting for him to let me go when he, uh, passed out. Just like that.”

“Okay?”

“Well he collapsed.”

“Okay?”

“His knee, uhm…”

Chris stopped moving, half-way down their corridor. “You’re joking?”

Victor glared. “Does it LOOK like I’m joking? Am I walking like this is a joke?” Victor pulled away from him and walked the last few steps on his own, the pain fading finally.

Chris held out until he closed the door behind himself before breaking into hysteric laughter. “So you’re telling me you got kneed in the dick by the supposed love of your life after he complimented your face and told you he’s not into you?”

Victor groaned and let himself fall face-first onto the bed. “That’s right.”

Chris laughed harder, barely even able to lay down on the bed as well.

Once again, Victor didn’t think it was funny. “What am I going to DO, Chris? If he doesn’t like me, how can I fix this?”

Chris’ laughter died suddenly. “Wait, you still want him?”

Victor scoffed, unbuttoning his shirt. “I love him, Chris. It’s not that fragile a feeling.”

Chris hummed. “I once saw you dump a girl in the middle of dinner because you decided you didn’t like the way she laughed.”

“Did I? Can’t remember.”

“I do. I’m sure she does too. So what’s your plan?”

“Haven’t got one. I fly back tomorrow. What am I going to do?”

Chris sighed. “I can’t really tell you, can I? To be honest I’m surprised you’re still interested.”

“He has a poodle, Chris. It’s named Victor.”

“Not because of YOU, genius!”

Victor chuckled. “I know that, but doesn’t it seem a little like fate? Just… a little?”

Chris gave him a decidedly pitying look. “I think you may be exaggerating a little.”

He rolled towards his friend, feeling oddly vulnerable for a moment. “But what if I’m not? What if the songs are right and he’s all I’ll ever want? What then, Chris?”

Gentle fingers carded through his hair, a soothing gesture. “Then, if it’s fate, it’ll happen. That’s how it works, right?”

Strangely, Victor actually found the words comforting.


	13. Chapter 13

Yuuri woke up in serious pain, in his hotel bed, mostly dressed and with zero memories of the night before. He only just made it to the bathroom before he vomited up what felt like three days’ worth of food but was mostly champagne.

He felt miserable, not sure whether the pounding in his head or the nausea that seemed to have replaced his stomach was worse. His aching joints and burning skin were contenders too. Eyeing the shower next to himself, he stripped off and dropped his clothes, quickly hopping under the warm spray.

He actually felt worse afterwards and had to throw up twice more, all the while trying to remember… something. Anything. He still remembered going to the banquet, remembered one or two glasses of champagne… and then waking up.

Cursing, he fished the first set of track clothes he could find from his bag and stumbled down the hall, five doors further, banging on the door. His coach pulled open the door, not much more coherent than he was.

Yuuri stumbled past him, straight to his bathroom and threw up again. 

Thankfully, Celestino was happy to help him pack and get ready for their flight back, given that he was faring at least a LITTLE better than Yuuri. The fact that Celestino hadn’t been with him and couldn’t tell him what had happened the night before was… less than reassuring.

He’d have probably worried more if he’d been able to stand straight without his head pounding out the melody to ‘Last Christmas’. He wasn’t sure why that song – Yuuri hated Christmas music.

Two hours later, he was just as miserable, but at the airport. Not at all looking forward to the eleven hour and change flight back to Detroit, he fished for his phone – it, at least, had survived the night before. That was… something.

The lack of spam from Phichit told him that, at the very least, he hadn’t done anything that had been shared on social media. That was… something, at the very least. Fighting a wave of nausea, he watched Celestino check in and drop off their luggage before dragging him to a coffee shop.

The caffeine – if he could keep it down – would hopefully help him feel better.

It did not.

A solid nineteen hours later, courtesy of flight delays, bad weather, traffic and a cab driver that clearly didn’t know Detroit, a still hungover Yuuri fell into his own bed and passed out without even saying hello to Phichit.


	14. Chapter 14

A week after his flight home, Victor felt… empty. He’d hoped to see Yuuri again, had even asked at the desk, but he had checked out almost a full hour before Victor got there. Chris had clapped him on the shoulder, apologised and left – his own flight was hours before Victor’s.

The flight itself had been fine and he’d been delighted to see Makkachin again… except that had lasted a day. He’d spent the next three days looking at the photos and videos of the banquet, backing them up to various clouds in case something happened to them. The Yuuri folder had gained a few more hearts in its name… and Victor was miserable.

He MISSED Yuuri in a way he’d never missed anyone before. He still posted his pictures, still met the requirements of his sponsors, but that was it – whatever little joy he’d gleaned from it before was gone.

He meticulously broke up with every single woman he had flirted with before Yuuri, deleted every one of their pictures, their numbers, blocked a few persistent ones. Not just one of his friends wondered if he had lost his mind.

Victor didn’t care – he just wanted to see Yuuri again. The closest he came was watching the Japan Nationals – six days after Victor got home, he watched Yuuri skate there. He did well, got a silver medal. Victor was proud of him, even as he was sad he couldn’t go.

Knowing little about the skating world, he hadn’t known that Yuuri was in that competition, not until Chris had asked him if he was watching it, and at that point it would have been physically impossible to fly there in time to make it.

So Victor had sat on his couch, excitedly babbling to Makka about his amazing Yuuri, while he watched Yuuri create that wonderful melody that Victor seemed to hear whenever the other man put on a pair of skates. Yuuri seemed so happy with his medal too, holding it up for the camera as he stood on the podium next to two others whose names Victor couldn’t have remembered if his life depended on it.

Another week after the Nationals, with no more championships, no more competitions to watch Yuuri in, he felt an almost physical itch to see the other. He’d already studied up on just about every single aspect of figure skating, had even had Chris put him in contact with a local ex-champ to teach him about the finer details of it.

He couldn’t skate himself but he knew just about every bit of theory there was to know, in hopes of it filling the empty space in Victor. It soothed it but failed to give him what he wanted – he really hadn’t expected it to do all that much, but he had hoped at least.

Victor BEGGED Chris for Yuuri’s phone number, only to find out that Chris hadn’t kept it, since he hadn’t expected to need it again. Victor had moped an entire afternoon over this before a solution finally occurred to him.

He decided to abuse his popularity, money and fame for his gain. Morals were for people who weren’t desperately missing Yuuri Katsuki. It was easy to find the rink Yuuri trained at, what with Victor knowing the name of his coach, and so he got in touch with several people, then Celestino.

It took him a little over two weeks to set it all up, and by then he was sure he’d start having physical withdrawal symptoms soon. The dreams alone were… powerful. He’d dream of the banquet, dream of fevered kisses and of Yuuri skating. It was torture and more than once, Victor woke up feeling empty, wondering if maybe, after the banquet, Yuuri sometimes thought about him too.


	15. Chapter 15

Yuuri was having a remarkably difficult time not thinking about Victor Nikiforov. It wasn’t that he himself couldn’t avoid thoughts of the man, that was easy enough, it was that every single person he knew seemed absolutely determined to remind him every step of the way.

When Phichit asked him for every single detail of every interaction he’d had with him, he sighed but fulfilled the request – he’d expected it. When his coach asked a few times whether he’d ‘spoken to Victor recently’, he’d smiled and shrugged. When rinkmates he barely knew came up to ask if he could get them in touch with him, he politely told them he only met the man once or twice.

Sure, after a week or two, things died down well enough… except then Victor starred in an ad for some name-brand perfume and suddenly he was on every TV commercial break, in every magazine, even on the cabs.

Yuuri developed a filter to ignore those too. Ignoring the frequent Instagram posts Phichit made, now often featuring him for some reason, was the easiest part – he never really used it much anyway. He’d been a little bit pleased when, after the GP final he’d found a selfie of the man next to a giant scoreboard of the final results of the Grand Prix, congratulating the participants, including him. It was obviously only politeness, but it was still nice.

Four weeks after the Grand Prix, even his sister had asked about Victor a few times and he was BEYOND fed up with it all. He’d only seen the man a few times, made a fool of himself multiple times, and yet somehow everyone treated it as if he’d witnessed the second coming of Christ.

Of course, it was at that point that his coach summoned him to his office for a ‘little chat’. Yuuri hated those. They generally meany he was about to be signed up for something he didn’t want to do, such as press conferences or the like.

Naturally, it was MUCH worse than that, and looking back at it, he rather thought he should have seen it coming.

“Have a seat, have a seat! So Yuuri, I have great news!” He obediently sat in one of the plush leather chairs in his coach’s office, located right above the rink itself.

“Okay?”

“Well, you know how you’ve been worrying a little about coaching fees and all that for the next season?” He winced – he’d sent a portion of his winnings to his family after the GP, wanting to help them out… and he’d been left with preciously little for himself.

“Yes?”

“Well, as it happens, I believe that problem has solved itself.”

“… Oh?”

“Yes! How do you feel about teaching someone to skate?” Yuuri blinked. He’d never done it before, and certainly didn’t see how that solved any of his problems.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, what would you say if I told you that a very wealthy person interested in figure skating approached us and offered us a VERY generous sum so that you would coach them?”

“But… I’m not a coach.”

Celestino nodded. “I am aware, but this person has never skated at all. Would you accept the offer?”

Yuuri sighed. “How good was the offer then?”

After a long pause, his coach shrugged. “Just under a quarter of a million dollars.”

Yuuri nearly slid out of his chair. “What? For ME to coach them? Me? But, they could get JJ or Chris or someone to do it! For that money, they could get ANYONE to do it!”

Celestino chuckled. “Well, that’s sort of what I said, but apparently this person is a fan of yours. What do you think?”

Yuuri sighed. “I think that I don’t have much of a choice, now do I?”

“Well, I already accepted, so there is that.” Yuuri smiled politely – he wasn’t surprised he had accepted, not for that sort of money. It was the off-season too, he had nothing to train for… really, there was no reason to decline, other than a niggling feeling in the back of his mind that warned him that something wasn’t right.

“So what are the conditions?”

“Starting a few days from now, you’ll spend three days per week teaching your new student for a duration of eight weeks, details to be confirmed. That way you still have time to keep yourself in shape as well.”

He nodded – it wasn’t a bad arrangement.

“So, who is this person? Do I know them?”

Celestino leaned forwards and grinned eagerly. “That’s the best part! It’s Victor Nikiforov.”

Yuuri gaped. If it had been physically possible, his jaw would have hit the floor. “What? But… but he’s friends with Chris! He’d teach him, probably for free!”

“Chris is in Switzerland. I didn’t pry or anything but maybe he can’t leave the US because of his work. Either way though, I gave him your phone number and he’ll be in touch once he’s in Detroit.”

It took an enormous amount of self-restraint for him to nod, smile and walk out rather than to have an immediate anxiety attack. No, he saved that for a little later, alone in the locker rooms. Victor Nikiforov, the very person that seemed to be absolutely everywhere… and now he was physically, actually going to be around him. Yuuri’s first student.

When Phichit found him half an hour later, his hands were still shaking.


	16. Chapter 16

Landing in Detroit was… an experience. It wasn’t a long flight and both him and Makka had gotten through it quite well, but the anticipation, the worry, the nervousness of seeing Yuuri again, finally, those got to him.

Victor knew he’d planned it all well. Yuuri’s coach had accepted the offer on his behalf remarkably quickly, and his heart had definitely beaten quicker when he’d received a ‘yes’ so quickly. He’d rented an apartment that allowed dogs a mere few minutes from the rink, had boxes of his belongings delivered and meticulously tracked every step of his journey with Instagram posts.

His sponsors had been DELIGHTED when he’d told them that he wanted to do one of those ‘pick up a skill in 8 weeks’ challenges that were so popular. They hadn’t even questioned his choice of ice skating, nor his choice of coach. A Grand Prix finalist? Why not.

Victor was good at charming sponsors, and so paying the outrageously high fee he’d offered was no problem at all. He hoped, of course, that the number would impress Yuuri. If not, that was fine too – it wasn’t really his money after all.

The city itself was dreary to say the least. He missed being pretty much anywhere else within two hours of stepping into his new apartment. The complete lack of sunshine felt strange to him, not that that feeling could hold a candle to the sheer joy he felt at being about to meet Yuuri again.

That merely left one problem: He had to get in touch with the man. Victor had his number saved in his phone, courtesy of Celestino, and he’d been putting off sending him a text for some time now. He simply had no idea what to text.

He’d written and discarded dozens of drafted messages before he finally settled on one, quite late at night. ‘Hi, this is Victor. Can we discuss our schedule tomorrow? Thanks!’ He hit send before he could second-guess himself. It was polite, friendly and it didn’t scream ‘lovesick’ the way some of his first attempts had.

He didn’t get a reply.

Well, not at first anyway. He was quite used to people replying quickly. The reply was as short as his text had been and came hours later: ‘Sure, can you meet me at the rink at 4pm? Yuuri’ Victor had squealed like a little girl. With only Makkachin to hear him, he wasn’t all that fussed about his dignity.

No, he was buzzing with excitement at the chance to see Yuuri, his Yuuri again. It was going to be absolutely wonderful. That was his first thought anyway. It was quickly followed by several questions, including the ever-popular ‘What am I going to wear?’ and ‘How do I act?’

By 3pm the next day, he was fully dressed and ready to make the five minute walk to the rink, well-aware that he was acting a little bit insane. He left early, hoping to maybe, just maybe, catch Yuuri skating.


	17. Chapter 17

He hadn’t been able to land a single one of his jumps all day, not with his meeting with Victor hanging over his head. The time – in the middle of his practice – had been of his own choosing so he’d have a ready excuse to cut it short if need be, but he hadn’t considered how it would impact his performance.

Sullenly sticking to step sequences, spins and circles, he watched the minutes tick by. He didn’t have to wait all that long though, as a mere fifteen minutes past three, the rink was suddenly quite… empty.

Not so subtle squeals from the exit gave him a pretty good idea who it was that had caused it to empty. Determined to ignore the man out of sheer pettiness and nerves, he circled the entire rink twice before skating through several sequences that made use of the entire area.

He didn’t stumble once, actually did extremely well, as much as he could judge that himself. When the clock showed 20 minutes to four, he knew that ignoring Victor’s presence any longer would just be plain rude, so he did one last lazy circle, skating backwards on one leg just for the hell of it, before stepping off the ice to go in search of Victor.

He didn’t have to. As a matter of fact, he didn’t have to go anywhere at all, because an immaculately dressed – he was beginning to suspect that was his default setting – Victor was already standing by the gate as he stepped out, beaming as he handed him his skate guards.

“Thanks.” was all he could manage to say in reaction to the man’s sudden presence. Bending over to wipe off his skates and put the guards on was an almost welcome reprieve. Why did he have to be early? Yuuri just hadn’t been READY!

“How are you, Yuuri?”

Forcing a smile, he shrugged. “I’m fine, and you?” It was so, so awkward.

Thankfully, Victor seemed polite enough to be willing to pretend otherwise. “Great! I’m great! Is there somewhere private to talk? Or did you maybe want to grab coffee somewhere else?”

He blinked at the usually taller man. “I’m in the middle of practice, I can’t just leave, but Celestino’s office should be free.”

Naturally, the man was off sick the very day this had to happen.

“Lead the way!” Yuuri did so, in silence. Had he been thinking clearly, he’d have probably taken off his skates, but with his fingers just barely not shaking, he wasn’t all that surprised when he walked up the stairs and into the office IN SKATES.

With a sigh, he dropped into one of the chairs, while Victor took the other. Really, the man seemed far too… happy.


	18. Chapter 18

Victor practically swooned as soon as he walked into the building. Spotting Yuuri on the ice wasn’t difficult, of course. It got a little harder when a whole gaggle of fans approached him, but feigning smiles and taking photos was a lot easier when he had to do it while looking at Yuuri skating.

The man was magnificent. He was spinning, stepping, sometimes simply circling the empty rink like he was born for it, like he owned it. Victor barely noticed the time passing as he watched, holding on to the barrier.

Being so much closer to Yuuri while he skated made it better. He could almost feel the cold radiate from the ice, could almost feel the heat that he knew would radiate from his body. When Yuuri casually skated to the exit, backwards and, oh god, on one leg, Victor actually did swoon a little, completely incapable of speaking as he handed him his skate guards.

Yuuri simply acknowledged it with a thanks before leading him to his coach’s office… Victor didn’t think it was fair. Yuuri walked on his skates better than most women did on heels and the added height made him feel small next to the other.

He was anything but, normally, so the adjustment was… strange. Still, sitting in that office, opposite of Yuuri, he couldn’t help but feel relieved to see him again.

“What made you decide you wanted me of all people to coach you?”

Victor was floored. Of all the questions he could be asked, he hadn’t expected that one. “Hm? I’ve told you, haven’t I? I like you.”

The other man simply nodded. “Why not get Chris to teach you?”

He grinned. Chris had tried, actually, at one point. Years before, he had declared Victor ‘untrainable’ before getting drunk. Not that he was about to tell Yuuri that. THAT question he had an answer for at least. “Chris is studying at university at the moment. Between that and the distance…”

“Fair enough. Coach told me that we’ll be practising three days per week for a few hours at a time?” Victor nodded eagerly. He would have agreed to one day per week – seeing Yuuri three times per week was more than he had expected.

“And… how much skating can you do now?”

Victor beamed. “I can stand still without falling over. That’s it.” Only after the words were out, did a major flaw in his plan occur to him… he was trying to IMPRESS Yuuri, not make a fool of himself. He’d already done so twice so far.

To his relief, Yuuri just chuckled softly. “I see. And the reason you’re doing all of this is…?”

He sighed. “For a campaign. Picking up a new skill in 8 weeks. It’s like a challenge. I could have picked several things but this just seemed… fun.”

“Fun, hm?”

Victor smiled warmly. “Yes. I suppose when I watch you skate, it seems like you… enjoy it. I want to know what that’s like.”

Brown eyes met blue and something like hesitant understanding flashed through them. “You don’t enjoy what you do?”

Victor’s heart skipped a beat. Yuuri was… perceptive. “Not like I used to. Chris loves the ice, you seem to as well. I’m wondering if… if I could too.” Understanding changed to a sort of compassion that Victor wasn’t sure he liked. It was too intimate, too personal, too sudden.

So he did what he knew best – deflect.

“Sooooo, Mr. Coach, think you can make me into a world champ in eight weeks?”

Yuuri smiled wryly. “Let’s start with something more manageable, hm? I’m assuming you’ll want to take progress pictures and such?”

He nodded. “In that case, how about we choreograph a routine for you. That should be doable for you in eight weeks.”

He nodded. “Can I use one of yours? I liked the ones you skated at the Grand Prix!”

To his surprise, Yuuri’s lips pressed into a thin line and he frowned. “Ah, no. We’ll come up with something original for you.”

To say he was disappointed would be an understatement. Still, he shrugged it off. “When do you want to start?”

“Up to you, Yuuri-sensei!”

To his delight, the other man flushed a little. “Uh, just my name is fine. Won’t you need time to find a hotel and such?”

He waved him off. “I rented an apartment nearby. I’m happy to start any time.”

Yuuri nodded. “Have you got skates?”

Victor gave him his broadest smile. “Yes! I had them custom-made! They’re really nice ones too!”

“That’s… good? The rental ones never fit that well. Then since you’re ready… start on Monday? By then I can have a routine ready for you to study towards.”

That was four days away – well, it was better than nothing.


	19. Chapter 19

“You asked WHAT?” Chris asked, nearly choking on his laughter.

Victor huffed. “What’s so bad about asking to use his routine?”

“Well for one thing it’s RUDE.”

He froze. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that skaters spend half a year working out and perfecting their competition routines. You don’t just go and pick one you like.”

Victor put Chris on speaker and set the phone down. “So I made another mistake? Why is this so HARD, Chris? Normally I just have to smile and people fall for me.”

His friend snickered. “Well, it’s all part of falling in love I suppose. Still, I can’t believe you did all of that just to get close to him.”

“What choice did I have? I really… missed him.”

“Oh Victor… you’re pathetic when you’re in love. I can’t believe I used to think you were smooth, cool even. You’ve turned into a lovesick puppy.” Scoffing at the phone, he scratched Makka’s ear.

“Not much I can do about it, is there?”

“I suppose not. What’s your game-plan?”

“Plan?”

“On seducing him. Or were you just going to keep showing up and hope he falls for your pretty face?”

Victor winced – no, drunk Yuuri had made it plenty clear his face wasn’t going to cut it. “I was… well, I’ll try and show him I’m not just some ditzy Insta-babe.”

Heavy silence fell for a moment. “Victor. I cannot believe you just said that. Out loud. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.”

He picked the phone back up and took Chris off speaker. “Be nice, you’re supposed to be my friend.”

“I’m being plenty nice just by giving you advice here. So your first training is going to be in a few days, hm? Looking forward to it?”

He knew Chris was teasing him but he couldn’t help the genuine happiness that coiled in his stomach at the thought of it. “Yeah. I really am.”

“Oh god, you’re hopeless. Now excuse me, I need to get some sleep.”

“Say hi to Bae for me. And… thanks for the help.” Victor offered. Chris snorted and hung up – no doubt, he was about to greet his cat, because for all that he liked to act sassy and sexy, Chris was just as whipped by his pet as Victor was by Makkachin… and now Yuuri.

He hid his face in Makkachin’s fur, not that there was a real reason to hide his smile. Victor would have Yuuri. He’d spent far too much time in his own head, worrying, obsessing over it all. It was time to charm his way into the other man’s life. How hard could it be?


	20. Chapter 20

Yuuri had REALLY thought that Victor had been exaggerating when he’d said all he could do was stand up without falling over. The man had looked quite confident putting on his skates – special skates, indeed. They had gold blades and a small Russian flag on the heel.

They’d never be allowed in competition but they fit him well enough and their quality was superb as well. Victor had laced them up like he’d done it all his life, had walked to the entrance of the ice with confidence… and had immediately turned into a deer in the middle of a frozen lake.

Legs spread too far, he’d slowly slid a few steps from the entrance only to freeze up entirely. Yuuri had to fight to not laugh at him, more than he had expected. The helpless look Victor shot him over his shoulder didn’t help any either. Stepping onto the ice after the other man, he lazily skated to him.

They had the rink to themselves – apparently the insane amount of money Victor paid bought them private rink-time. Yuuri had no complaints – it was rare to have that, even for him. He circled Victor once.

“How do you feel?”

The other man chuckled. “Like I’m going to fall over any moment. Just not sure which direction yet.”

Yuuri chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’ll catch you if you fall. Try pointing your toes inwards and shifting your weight forwards a little.” He didn’t miss the way Victor froze completely at his words before slowly complying, sliding forwards relatively easily… for a moment anyway.

The next second, he pitched backwards, arms flailing.

Yuuri had seen it coming though, and caught him, arm firm around the taller man’s waist, stopping him from hitting the ice. He was struck for a moment by how… familiar it felt. He’d never touched the other man like that, supporting him with his arm like that, yet…

“You okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“See? Told you I’d catch you.”

After that particular incident, things got a little easier. He taught Victor how to safely fall in case he wasn’t there to catch him, and the man got more confidence after that. Half an hour later he was actually circling the rink with some success. Yuuri stayed by his side, keeping an eye on him, but really the man was… talented.

Despite himself, Yuuri was impressed.

Another hour later, he was a little less impressed. Victor was sitting on a bench, out of breath and quite exhausted. “Can you handle more or is this your limit?” He asked, a little worried about just how… worn down the man seemed to be.

“H-How are you still so… perky?”

Yuuri snorted at his question and shrugged. “Professional athlete?”

“Fair enough. I don’t think I can keep going. Sorry.”

He chuckled. “Don’t be. You shouldn’t push yourself too hard.”

Victor nodded and started tugging on the laces of his skates, fingers now much less deft than they had been when he’d put them on.

To Yuuri’s relief, his feet seemed to be fine – he knew how easily new skates could hurt. Victor slipped off both skates and stood before Yuuri could tell him not to – he promptly stumbled and consequently fell forwards.

Not for the first time, Yuuri reached out to catch him. This time, Victor’s arms wrapped around his shoulders and nearly his entire weight sagged against Yuuri. He was heavy but not too heavy, and so, keeping balance on his own skates, he waited for the man to catch himself. Once again, he was struck by the immediate… fit of their bodies, the same fit he’d felt when Victor had hugged him at the GP final.

“Ah damn, I’m sorry. I didn’t hurt you did I? I’m… heavy.”

Shaking his head, he helped Victor sit down. “Don’t worry about it. I’m pretty strong. You need to be careful though, standing up after taking off your skates.” He smiled softly, surprised when Victor blushed a little.

He was even more surprised by how… attractive it was. Yuuri shook the thought off and picked up Victor’s skates for him. The man would have enough trouble just walking to the changing rooms.


	21. Chapter 21

Victor was laying on his bed, studying the photos and video footage he’d recorded with his camera and phone that day. Well, that was what he was trying to do anyway. The reality of it was that he was staring blankly at his laptop screen, wondering how he was going to impress Yuuri when the man kept surprising him, kept throwing him off balance with everything he did.

He’d been so excited to skate with him, curious to see if that confidence that he had on the ice was limited to performances or not.

It was not.

This was both a good and bad thing because as Victor had discovered, not putting on ice skates for years had left him completely helpless. Yuuri had circled him with that smirk, a smirk he wanted a canvas print of, just to hang it over his bed.

Knees weak and head dizzy, he’d followed Yuuri’s instructions except that Yuuri had then said he would catch him if he fell and the hopeless romantic in him had wanted to whisper back something like ‘Who says I haven’t fallen for you yet?’ or possibly just ‘Marry me’ except the reality of it had been even more embarrassing because then he really HAD fallen… and Yuuri had caught him.

Just like he had said he would. He’d felt Yuuri’s arm wrap around him, steadying him with confidence and suddenly he’d understood all of those girlfriends of his that had always sighed and smiled when he held them, telling him how safe they felt, how protected. He’d taken it as lame attempts at flirting, but no, he understood now – Yuuri’s arms felt safe.

It wasn’t a one-time thing either… when he had somehow failed to even STAND after taking off his skates, Yuuri had stopped him from face-planting onto the floor and he’d had to hold up almost his entire weight.

He hadn’t so much as grunted at the impact either, just held Victor for what felt like forever. It had been warm, perfect and so so wonderful he hadn’t even wanted to let go. He’d called Chris as soon as he had left, immediately babbling about what a gentleman Yuuri was, how he’d helped him so much and not made him feel stupid or anything… and Chris had snarled at him that it was three in the morning and he didn’t want to be woken except for emergencies, then hung up.

So instead he’d artfully arranged his skates by a patch of snow on the pavement and posted a picture of them, tagging them with #icechallenge. He was already looking forward to his next lesson with Yuuri the next day, even as his feet ached quite a bit.

The next day, unfortunately, he was NOT feeling quite so euphoric. Victor was SORE. Not just his feet but his thighs, his back, even his shoulders. Still, he slowly, very slowly, inched to the rink for their agreed meeting time.

Yuuri looked almost… surprised to see him.

“Victor! How are you?”

“Sore! In so much pain! You should have warned me!” He whined, pleased when the reaction he drew was a happy chuckle.

“Sorry sorry. Is your back affected too or just your legs?” He sagged against the rink-barrier as Yuuri casually skated over in one smooth move.

“Everything is sore!”

Yuuri chuckled again. “Fair enough. I suppose we’ll skip today then. It won’t help you any if you make it worse.”

He sighed – he didn’t WANT to skip the day. He beamed when the solution occurred to him. “Have you made my routine yet? Can I see it? If I can’t skate I can at least watch, right?” Yuuri looked more than a little surprised but nodded after a moment.

“I’ve picked a relatively unique song, called On Love: Eros. If that’s not your thing, we can change it. It’s a good speed for a beginner, I think, and the routine will fit your, uh, image.” He nodded lamely – he knew very little about music, but if Yuuri had picked it, then he’d definitely go with it.

“Get me my phone?” The skater pointed towards his bag a few steps away and Victor ignored his sore muscles entirely in his hurry to do so. Yuuri tapped on it for a few moments before tossing it back to Victor and skating to the middle of the rink.

The next few minutes changed the way Victor looked at life itself. From the first movement, a casual snap of the head, brown eyes fixed on him, the routine was pure… sex. It was sensual, dark, and it drew him in in a way he’d never felt before. Fingers gripping the edge of the rink, he held on mostly for balance, partly to make sure that no bystander – not that there were any – could see the RAGING erection he developed pretty much as soon as their eyes met across the ice.

When Yuuri was done and skated back over, Victor was relatively certain that if Yuuri were to so much as kiss him, he’d come in his pants like a teenager. The other did no such thing of course, simply stared expectantly. “That was… modelled after my ‘image’ you said?” He forced out, relieved that his voice sounded normal.

“Well, yeah. I had a look at your Instagram and you kind of go for this aloof playboy vibe, right?”

Victor nodded. “That’s… that’s just a persona, you know.” Yuuri didn’t look like he believed him but he didn’t contradict him either – distracted as he was, he counted that as a win.

“So you think you can learn that in the next few weeks?”

Victor pursed his lips. “The jumps are a little...”

Yuuri chuckled. “Forget the jumps. You won’t be doing triples or quads. It’s just how I drew up the program the way I would skate it.”

“I liked them. A lot. I’ve been reading up on lots of figure skating info and they looked good.”

Yuuri sighed, turned around, and leaned against the other side of the barrier, a mere few inches from Victor. He shivered. “Better than in competition. I know. It’s always been that way.”

He doesn’t deny it – he knows enough about technique now to know that he’s… right.

“Why?”

The other man says nothing for a moment, then shrugs. “I suppose I lack confidence.”

He huffed. “No way? I’ve seen you skate. You practically ooze confidence.”

Yuuri stared at him for a long moment, his eyes searching before he shrugged. “I have anxiety. Pretty bad, actually. Bad enough I’m on medication for it. My performances… I suppose that’s a persona as well.”

The other man averted his eyes and skated away, leaving Victor gaping after him. He hadn’t expected the other man to say something so… personal, hadn’t expected him to reveal a secret like that. Victor felt a little in awe – not only was the man brave enough to talk about his problem to a veritable stranger, he even managed to skate, as one of the top skaters in the world, despite his anxiety.

Something in Victor throbbed an unpleasant feeling. He’d never… had to overcome anything like that. Things had always happened for him, whims, passing fancies, chasing this or that, being chased. Yuuri had… fought for his success.

He’d never felt so inferior as he did watching Yuuri perfectly land a triple axel, apparently just for the hell of it. When the man came back a few minutes later, he put on his brightest smile. “Would you like to go out for dinner together? My treat.”

Yuuri smiled weakly. “Ah, thanks but I have plans with my roommate.”

“I see.” Victor’s smile was entirely fake and continued to be so until he left not long after.

The realisation that maybe he really WAS the kind of person Yuuri disliked… it burned. He called Chris from his flat a while later.

“Am I a bad person?”

“Victor? What?”

“Just… am I a bad person?”

Chris fell silent for a minute. “Well, you can be a bit selfish and you’re not very considerate but I don’t think you’re a bad person. Why? Did your beloved say something?”

Victor whined. “Not as such. He told me… he just casually admitted that he has really bad anxiety. He skates like THAT with a handicap like that and I just realised…” He trailed off, hoping Chris would understand. Surprisingly, he did.

“I see. That’s very impressive. It’s… not a competition though. Between you and him.”

“I know that but why would he want someone like me when there are people like him?”

“Oh Victor… you’re pathetic in love. Look, I don’t know what to tell you. Be yourself around him. You have flaws yes, but you have your good points too. Don’t think you don’t.”

“Thanks Chris.”

His friend hummed. “Crisis over?”

“Think so.”

“Great. Now I’m going to say this one more time: Call me before 6am again and you can find someone else to whine to. Bye.” Chris hung up.

Well then.


	22. Chapter 22

Yuuri wanted to die as he came down from his axel. He had absolutely no idea why he had just casually admitted his anxiety to the other man. Sure, it wasn’t a secret per se but it was hardly common knowledge either. He’d just… gone out and said it, and then skated off in embarrassment.

Odds were the other man already regretted the insane amount of money he spent on training with Yuuri. When he invited him to dinner a little later, Yuuri made up plans with Phichit – he absolutely couldn’t do it.

Not only would he have felt self-conscious next to the other man, he’d also have to face his embarrassment in person, in public, and he was… well, he was too pathetic for that.

The backlash from Phichit when he got home was extreme. Sure, his friend was happy enough to post a selfie of them eating pizza and playing with his hamsters a while later, JUST in case Victor checked it, but still. He knew his friend thought he should… flirt, somehow, but Yuuri just wasn’t interested.

He knew Victor was straight and that alone would do the trick, but there was also his looks. Yuuri had never been interested in men that attractive. They made him feel self-conscious just by being around, by being near him. The few relationships he’d been in had always been with men like him – not unattractive but not like Victor either.

He had no problem admitting the other man was beautiful. Seeing him up close did nothing to detract from it, not at all. Silver lashes, perfect skin, the slightest hint of freckles… Victor Nikiforov was probably one of the most perfect specimen of his gender he’d ever seen.

Yuuri listlessly bit into his pizza. It was weird. Lots of things about him were weird. Not just his beauty but also the embarrassing tendency Yuuri had to blurt things he didn’t want to say… and then there were their hugs. True, it had only happened twice and one was an accident, but there was something achingly familiar and warm about it both times and it was… he’d never quite felt anything like it, with anyone.


	23. Chapter 23

Victor spent the two days until their next scheduled session basically sulking at home. He ordered food, walked Makkachin and… waited. Processing and posting his pictures and videos didn’t take as long as he had expected, leaving him with nothing to do and no desire to go anywhere.

He’d seen the photo of Yuuri with his roommate that day. The Japanese man had looked so… happy there with those little gerbils or whatever they were, he hadn’t even managed to be upset that the other had turned him down. Well, not very upset anyway.

Still, when he was due for his next session, he arrived at the rink an hour early, desperate for a look at his favourite skater in action. He wasn’t disappointed. He came in to Yuuri and Celestino chatting, and a few minutes later, Yuuri was skating – jumping. Quads, Victor realised.

He landed about half of them. Victor counted over twenty attempts before Yuuri brushed himself off and switched to triples and doubles. Victor was… amazed by his stamina. He’d done enough research to know that even other pro skaters didn’t normally have that much energy… and Yuuri was also going to teach him? Victor sighed.

He’d start going to the gym in between sessions, he decided – if only to improve his own endurance. Maybe a little in the hopes of impressing Yuuri. His feet carried him to the side of the rink almost of their own volition. Yuuri was still skating, moving through a step sequence he didn’t recognise before moving into a spin.

Victor allowed himself a besotted smile when a hand clamped down on his shoulder. He turned towards Celestino.

“Victor! Good to see you! You’re early, aren’t you?”

“Ah, yes! I thought I’d watch my coach skate a bit. How are you?”

“Good! Is Yuuri treating you well?”

Victor chuckled. “Very. So far he’s stopped me from breaking any bones on the ice.”

Celestino boomed a laugh. “That’s good, that’s good.”

He turned away from Victor. “Hey, Yuuri, your student’s here! Wrap it up, yeah?”

There really was no need to shout in the otherwise empty rink – Yuuri turned at the sound of his name and waved lightly at them. Victor’s heart skipped a beat on sheer principle, it seemed. Yuuri skated over effortlessly and held on to the barrier next to Victor.

“Well guys, I’ll leave you to it. Yuuri, don’t work Victor too hard!” He nearly whimpered – Yuuri ‘working’ him sounded pretty wonderful, actually.

He swallowed. “Ready to put on your skates?”

Victor blinked – he hadn’t noticed Celestino leave, nor had he noticed Yuuri step off the ice. “Ah, yeah! Let’s get going, right?” He smiled weakly at the other man and walked over to a nearby bench to sit and change shoes. Mentally shaking himself, he laced up his skates.

Hopefully, this attempt at skating would end up with him looking a little more impressive on the ice.


	24. Chapter 24

Yuuri winced as Victor hit the ice with a thud. It wasn’t the first time. Victor was practising skating in ever-tightening circles, and at a certain point he usually lost too much speed or his balance and fell. The first two times, Yuuri had caught him and put him back on his feet, until Victor had asked him not to, saying he would learn from his mistakes.

He was doing his best, Yuuri could tell – he was improving too; however he was also clearly getting frustrated. Yuuri felt sympathy – he barely remembered his early days of skating, much as he knew he probably fell even more.

“Victor… let’s take a break from that, shall we?” The other man shot him a frustrated glare but nodded.

He led him into skating bigger circles around most of the rink. “I don’t understand why I can’t get a handle on this.” Victor complained.

“You’re improving. It just takes a bit of time. I think it would help if you were more confident when you skate. Hesitating, slowing down, often that’s worse than going for it and falling.”

“Oh?”

Yuuri chuckled. “Well, I should know. I do it a lot, in competition.”

Victor sighed. “You’ve been skating for a long time, right?”

Yuuri nodded. “Almost twenty years.”

“And you still enjoy it?”

He smiled. “Yeah, I do. I don’t enjoy the fear before performances but the skating itself is wonderful.” He turned in a lazy pirouette to emphasize his point.

Victor’s lips pressed into a thin line for a moment, then he smiled again. “I wonder if I’ll find something I can enjoy that much.”

Yuuri chuckled. “I’m sure you can. People find their passion at all ages, right?”

The other man shrugged, faltering a little in his steps. “I suppose. I’ve always… well, I suppose I’ve made my decisions spontaneously. It didn’t all work out too well.”

Yuuri nodded in understanding. “I’m the opposite. I overthink, think myself out of things, and then scare myself worrying. I often wish I was a little more spontaneous.” Victor gave him a calculating look, then smirked in a way that made Yuuri’s heart skip a beat – a thought he pushed aside as quickly as possible.

He had already decided not to be taken in by Victor’s looks. Had decided not to let himself get attracted to the obviously straight man who had zero interest in him. Obviously. His eyes weren’t THAT blue.

“Then, why don’t you spontaneously have dinner with me tonight?”


	25. Chapter 25

Victor watched in mute horror as Yuuri froze mid-step. Since he was moving on the ice while doing so, this ended in him sprawling out and sliding into the barrier. Victor narrowly managed to catch himself before falling over the other man, even as he mentally cursed himself.

He hadn’t expected his offer to go over quite so… badly. Last time, Yuuri had just rejected him. What had changed? He watched as the man gracefully stood and brushed ice off his shoulder, blushing all the while.

Victor’s heart clenched – the blush looked almost too cute on him. “I’m… really sorry? I didn’t mean to startle you.” He offered, embarrassed.

Yuuri winced. “No, it’s fine. I, uh, was just surprised. It’s not your fault. I was lost in thought and just… yeah.”

He nodded slowly. “So… I guess that’s a no?” Yuuri grimaced slightly. Victor felt three inches tall, weary of the incoming reaction.

“Ah, while I appreciate the offer, you should know that I’m, uh, gay? So going out to dinner with me might be a little…”

Waving him off, Victor put on his brightest smile. “I know that! I’d still like to go to dinner with you.” His gloved hands suddenly feeling clammy, Victor swallowed thickly. Yuuri hadn’t refused. That was… good. Had to be good.

“Well, why not. Where are we going?” Victor could have squealed with happiness. Instead he settled on an almost-not-smug grin.

“Surprise? I can come pick you up later?”

Yuuri sighed. “Okay. What do I wear?”

Victor bit his lip. ‘Nothing’ was not an appropriate answer. “Uh, whatever you’d like? No dress codes.”

Yuuri nodded. “Well then, shall we get back to it?”

Victor nodded reflexively.

“Alright. I’d like to try something else for your spinning. Mind if I touch you a bit?” Suppressing a shiver, Victor quickly shook his head. To his surprise, Yuuri skated around him and firmly placed both hands on the sides of his hips.

Fingers digging lightly into his flesh even through his clothes, Victor had to suppress a moan. “This okay?” Yuuri asked from behind him and he bit out a quick ‘Yeah’ before he could say any of the other things on his mind.

“Right then, relax yourself. I’m going to pull you with me, okay?” Nodding dumbly even though Yuuri probably couldn’t see, he forced himself to relax and let himself be pulled by Yuuri. It was a strange sensation, though not entirely unpleasant. In fact, as Yuuri began to spiral and pull him tighter, he adjusted not unpleasant to really nice.

He only realised that he hadn’t tripped when Yuuri’s fingers tightened and stopped his movement. He looked over his shoulder at Yuuri who was smiling softly. “See? When you’re relaxed and move with steady speed, you can do it just fine. I barely led you. Try it forwards again.”

Victor moved as instructed, his mind still slightly clouded with the memory of fingers on his head. He circled smaller and smaller, trying and failing to not think of how much he wanted his hands on him again. He fell, of course… but much later than before.

Yuuri offered him a hand up with a smile and he accepted it gratefully. “That was much better than before! Let’s stop here and focus on building speed and slowing down again, yeah? It’s a big part of your routine.”


	26. Chapter 26

Several hours later, Yuuri, clad in his nicest slacks and a semi-nice shirt, stood waiting in front of his flat. Victor had promised to pick him up there and take him to the mystery restaurant. Yuuri had been regretting his decision to go as soon as he’d said the words.

No doubt, a man like Victor would take him somewhere extremely fancy? He gulped. Well, after spending an evening with him, Victor would hopefully let it go – he didn’t see the flashy man continuing his curious interest in him past that, so really, getting it out of the way was good, would make it easier for them to work together.

Phichit, who had helped him pick the shirt, had howled with laughter when Yuuri had explained his problem, and had refused to acknowledge the fact that it was NOT a date, not at all. Obviously, it wasn’t. Yuuri was still absolutely humiliated that he’d fallen like a complete idiot because he’d been too busy thinking about how gorgeous the other man was when he’d asked Yuuri to dinner.

The humiliation alone had been… extreme. Being caught so completely off-guard though… Yuuri had put the whole thing out of his mind as soon as possible. Naturally, actually touching Victor had NOT been helpful. The man had felt lean and quite strong under his fingers, and the motion of pulling him had felt almost too nice. He’d been immensely relieved when he could let go.

All of that relief was gone now, replaced by trepidation. Victor was late – only a few minutes, but still. Yuuri fished for his phone to check for messages – indeed, there was a text. ‘Running late, traffic!’ Well then. Yuuri shivered in the cold of the early evening. He hadn’t taken his jacket, not expecting to need it.

Phichit texted. ‘Go get yourself some Insta-star’ Yuuri deleted the text. Just as he angrily put away his phone again, a grey car – a grey convertible car – pulled up in front of him. He looked at the driver automatically, surprised when it really was Victor.

The car didn’t look like a typical rental. Yuuri waved hello uncertainly, relieved when Victor dashed out and approached him. “Yuuri! Sorry to keep you waiting! Traffic was horrible. Shall we?” Nodding dumbly, Yuuri got in when Victor opened the door for him.

A moment later, they were back on the road. “What do you think of the car?” Victor asked a moment later.

“Uh, it’s nice? I don’t know much about cars. Is it yours?”

The other man grinned and winked. “Long-term rental. I didn’t want to bring my own along just for a few weeks.”

Yuuri nodded. He didn’t drive at all – there was no need. Still, he sat still as Victor expertly weaved through the streets. They didn’t drive too far – maybe ten minutes – before Victor pulled up to a nondescript building. It didn’t much look like a restaurant at all.

Still, he got out and followed Victor up the steps to the entrance door. They walked to the lift in silence. Yuuri kept sneaking glances at Victor, hoping for some kind of hint as to what they were doing. His clothes hadn’t given anything away – Victor was immaculately dressed as always.

They arrived on the third floor and walked down the hallway. Victor unlocked one of the doors there and Yuuri’s brain absolutely froze when he finally had to acknowledge what he’d suspected since they’d parked – they weren’t heading to a restaurant. Yuuri blindly followed Victor through the door.

Indeed, the room behind it was clearly someone’s flat – Victor’s flat. A moment later, Yuuri was ripped from his stupor when a solid mass of fur tackled him. He fell, hard, as an excited dog snout started licking him. “Makka! Makka, no!”

Yuuri laughed. Makka – Victor’s poodle – was clearly undeterred by her owner’s requests to stop until he actually pulled her off Yuuri. Picking up his glasses from where they’d fallen to the floor, Yuuri climbed to his feet. “Are you okay?”

He grinned at the blurry shape that was his host. “I’m fine. She’s very loving.”

“She’s not normally LIKE that! I’m really sorry.” Wiping his glasses on a corner of his shirt, he quickly put them back on to find Victor looking… flustered. It was, like everything else so far, a good look on him.

“I really don’t mind. I love dogs. Makka, right?”

Victor released a much calmer poodle.

“Yes, short for Makkachin. This… kind of isn’t the way I’d planned this.”

Yuuri chuckled. “What was your plan?”

Victor sighed. “Well, surprise you by cooking you dinner. Possibly impress you with my adorable dog. It wasn’t a very detailed plan and yet somehow it already failed.”

“What made you decide to cook rather than going out to a restaurant?” Victor grinned. “Well, I thought this would be more fun. Besides, this way neither of us can be recognised and it won’t be awkward.” Yuuri nodded – Victor being recognised would be awkward.

“Then… would you like me to help you cook?”

“You cook?” Victor sounded quite surprised.

“Well, my parents run an inn. I’ve been cooking since I was a little kid.” The other man whistled quietly.

“Impressive. I was going to cook something authentically Russian.”

Yuuri snorted. “It’s not going to be on my diet plan, is it?”

Victor winked at him, making his stupid, irrational heart flutter. “This isn’t on ANYONE’S diet plan.”

“Sounds perfect. The perks of off-season.” His answer seemed to satisfy Victor who led him into the surprisingly spacious kitchen of his flat.

“What are we making?” Yuuri asked, carefully folding up the sleeves of his shirt.

Victor stared at him for a moment, then smiled awkwardly. “Ah, Beef Stroganoff. Family recipe. Is that okay? You’re not vegetarian, are you?”

Yuuri shook his head. “Not at all. Sounds great. What would you like me to do?”

He quickly rinsed his hands while Victor pulled ingredients from the fridge. “You could start by cutting the beef?”

Yuuri smiled. “Of course.” As he set about his task, he grinned to himself. He certainly hadn’t expected this when he’d agreed to dinner, but cooking was something he was familiar with even if he didn’t know the specific dish. Familiar was good, familiar meant he wasn’t completely out of his depth. Familiar meant he had something to focus on that WASN’T his host.

Yuuri was weak for men who could cook, there was no other way of putting it. He had no idea why, but something about it just made men more attractive to him. That was the last thing he needed with Victor, but as he snuck glances at the other man, he couldn’t help the little flutters his heart gave.

Victor had rolled his sleeves up too and was carefully measuring cream from a cup. He looked completely focused on his task – it was a disturbingly appealing sight. Yuuri forced his eyes away.


	27. Chapter 27

As he pretended to pay attention to his measuring, he watched Yuuri steadily. He hadn’t expected the other man to know how to cook, nor to offer to help. Seeing him with his sleeves up, expertly chopping away, Victor had to fight not to swoon.

He’d never cared whether his partners could cook, had only learned on a whim, because of an interest in a French chef some time ago. He’d lost interest in her before he’d lost interest in the cooking, but it had served him well over the years. Now he almost feared he’d made a mistake – Yuuri’s movements were surer than his own, steadier.

He’d hoped to impress the other – how was he supposed to have known that the skater would be so much… better than him? It wasn’t fair! He checked the beef broth he was making – all fine. He’d told the truth, it was a family recipe – just not his family. He’d kept it as a keepsake from a past lover of his and had always enjoyed it when she’d cooked it for him.

Victor was a little in awe of how well they worked together, really. There were no awkward bumps, no hold-ups. Yuuri moved around him like they’d been doing it for years, and the longer it went on, the less sure of himself Victor got. Clearly, he’d chosen the wrong thing to try to impress his date.

He’d have to find something else for next time… and for now he had to hold it together long enough to maybe make a positive impression for once. He was long overdue one. Of course, just as he set about turning on the stove, his phone rang.

“Go on pick up, I’ll take care of this.” Yuuri offered and he accepted with a small smile.

A glance on his phone revealed that it was Christ calling – the other man almost never called him first. “Hey Chris?”

After a long pause, the other man sighed. “Hey Victor.”

“What’s up?”

“I, uh, need a favour?”

“Sure what do you need?”

Chris cleared his throat. “A place to crash for a few days? I’m in Detroit.”

“You’re WHAT?”

Chris sighed. “It was an accident – I had a hotel booked and was going to come see you, but they lost my reservation. Now they’re out of rooms unless I want to pay for the honeymoon suite and unlike you, I’m not made of money.”

Victor groaned. “So you need a place to stay… now? Right now?”

Chris hummed in agreement. “I’m on a date. In my apartment. Right now. You can’t come here.”

The skater whistled quietly. “Is that so? Finally gotten over your obsession then?” Victor quickly glanced at Yuuri who was a safe distance away.

“No. I’m cooking for him.”

Chris laughed. “You know his parents have an inn, right? He’s probably a better cook than you!”

Victor huffed. “Yes, so I found out already. How was I supposed to know?”

“I told you? At the GP Final?”

Silence fell for a few moments. “I… forgot?”

“Oh Victor. Such a mess. Anyway, sorry to crash your date but I’m coming over. It’s raining and I need a place to stay that isn’t a hotel lobby. I have the address. See you!” With that, Chris hung up and Victor cursed. Loudly. In Russian.

“Is… something wrong?”

He turned to a hesitant-looking Yuuri. “Ah, you could say that. I’m, uh, really sorry but Chris is coming here? Right now? Apparently, they lost his hotel reservation, and yeah.”

To his surprise, Yuuri smiled. “Giacometti? That should be fine, we made enough for three!” Victor could have kissed him – Yuuri was so considerate! He didn’t even mind their date being interrupted. It was so sweet!

“When will he get here?”

“He didn’t say, just that he was on his way. You really… don’t mind?”

The Japanese man shook his head. “Not at all. It’ll be fun, right?” Fun. Right. Well, it’d have been more fun with just the two of them, but…

Victor pouted.


	28. Chapter 28

Having dinner with Chris and Victor was indefinitely easier than just being alone with Victor in his flat. If nothing else, it laid to rest any traitorous thoughts his mind had about their dinner being a date. As if he’d needed proof, he knew that anyway, but at least Chris’ appearance had confirmed it.

Had it BEEN a date, Victor would have turned his friend down. Besides, sitting around the dining table with the three of them and Makka begging for scraps was fun. They chatted about skating, about Victor’s progress and the exhibition Chris was in town for.

He had a surprisingly good time, really. Given how awkwardly their first meal had gone, he had to admit the second was better. He knew Victor better – at least a bit – and conversation seemed to flow more easily.

He’d never found a way of apologising for how rude he’d been at the GP, but since neither of the others seemed to mind, he figured it was probably fine. Eating another forkful of his food, he listened to Chris’ tale about his flight.

Unsurprisingly, the man had flown first class and gotten a little… tipsy on the plane. Yuuri chuckled softly as the other skater told them about the very ‘nice’ flight attendant he met on the plane. Yuuri had known Chris was gay of course – he had eyes – but hearing him so avidly describe his flirtations was still something he wasn’t used to, being rather reserved himself.

“So anyway, by the time I landed I had the phone numbers of every single member of the flight crew, the co-pilot and two of the passengers.” Chris finished his tale with a bow.

“That’s a new record, isn’t it?” Victor asked. Yuuri had noticed that the man’s mood had dropped a little when Chris had arrived, but he had gotten over it relatively quickly.

“Yup, that’s right! Still nothing on you though.” Chris winked at Victor who pressed his lips into a thin line.

“There were THREE Bachelorette party groups on that plane, maybe a year ago? I’m lucky I made it out alive.”

Yuuri hid his smile behind his hand – he could vividly imagine how that might have gone down. His singular experience with an American bachelorette party would have been enough to put him off women entirely if he hadn’t been gay to begin with.

“What about you, Yuuri? You must get hit on a lot, right?” Chris eventually asked.

Blushing, he shook his head. “What? N-No! Not at all! I don’t really get hit on at all.”

“Whaaat? That can’t be true. Surely our little Yuuri is a heartbreaker?”

He shook his head again. “N-No! I’m really not.”

Chris chuckled. “So fans don’t ask you for your number and such?”

He shrugged slowly. “On occasion. In Japan, but that’s just because I’m well-known there. That’s it, really.”

Chris sighed. “So, do you have a lover?” Blushing even more brightly, Yuuri shook his head no.

“I see! On the market then? Hm, you’re not my type but I can think of a few guys that would be happy to date you.”

Quite suddenly, Victor put down his fork with a little more force than necessary. “That’s enough Chris. Yuuri is my guest. I invited him. You just barged in. If you can’t be polite, go to bed.”

Chris stood, snickering a little – as he did, Yuuri understood the sudden change in topic. Chris was swaying a little, having had three glasses of wine. He was probably a little drunk. He allowed himself to relax, relieved at the explanation of the awkward situation, and shot Victor a thankful glance. The silver-haired man gave a small nod before all but hauling Chris off to what he assumed to be the bedroom.

“Ohhh, an invitation to the great Victor Nikiforov’s bedroom!” Was the last thing Yuuri heard before the door slammed shut. A little awkwardly, he decided to make himself useful and set about doing the dishes while Victor was gone. He didn’t just want to leave without saying goodbye, unsure how to act now that dinner was obviously over.

Still, doing the dishes came easy enough to him, and he hummed under his breath and he washed the plates, pots and cutlery they had used.


	29. Chapter 29

Victor had half a mind to push Chris out of a window. As soon as the door closed behind them, he settled for shoving the man towards the bed.

“Ohhh, so rough!” Chris teased with a grin.

“Cut it out. You’re not drunk, you’re just acting. It’s not funny.” He hissed at his friend.

“Isn’t it? At least now you know he really is single. And shy. And oblivious. Doesn’t get hit on, my my...”

Victor sighed. “Can I leave you in here and go back?”

Chris winked at him. “Of course, my friend. I’ll be quiet as a mouse. Go and finish your date. Kudos for getting him to agree, by the way.”

He preened a little, before shooting Chris a dark look and walking back to where he’d left Yuuri. He expected the other man to still be sitting at the table. When he didn’t see him there, he panicked for a moment – had Yuuri left?

The sound of running water alerted him to the fact that this wasn’t the case. Yuuri was standing in the kitchen again, humming quietly and doing the dishes. His back was turned, luckily, so he didn’t see the love-struck expression Victor knew he wore for a few moments. Heart pounding, he put on a smile and approached the other.

“Yuuuuuri! You didn’t have to do the dishes!”

The other man turned with a soft smile. “It’s fine, no problem. You cooked, it’s the least I can do. Is Chris okay?”

“Fell straight into bed. He was more tired than he thought. Join me for another glass of wine?”

The other man hesitated. “Ah… I’ve already had two and I don’t handle my alcohol too well…”

Victor’s heart skipped a beat at the memory. “Uh, it’s fine. Here I’ll pour some for us.” Before the other had another chance to refuse, Victor filled both their glasses and handed one to Yuuri as soon as he rolled down his sleeves again.

He led him to the L-shaped couch further in his living room and sat, pleased when Yuuri sat not too far away. They sipped their wine in amicable silence for a few moments before Victor broke it. “So tell me, coach, do you think I can learn the routine in the time we have?” Yuuri paused for a moment, sipping some more wine.

“Hm, I should think so. You’re making good progress.”

“So, we’re on for another lesson tomorrow?”

To his surprise, Yuuri snickered. “Probably not. You’ll see tomorrow morning. You’ll be aching.”

Now, Victor was a reasonable man. He knew that Yuuri meant bruises from falling so much. He really did. His body didn’t care. He was half-hard a moment later, and well aware that he was blushing a little – not that Yuuri had noticed either, thankfully.

Crossing his legs subtly, he shifted closer to Yuuri, unable to help himself.

“Oh? I don’t mind a bit of pain, you know.”

Yuuri gave him a slightly incredulous look. “A bit of pain? You’ll be in agony, probably. You should text me if you need me to bring you any medicine or something.” Victor bit back a sigh – of course Yuuri hadn’t noticed his innuendo.

Still, it was nice of him to offer. “Hm, I might take you up on that.” Yuuri nodded, drinking more of his wine – his face was starting to flush a little from the alcohol. Victor knew he couldn’t let him get as drunk as he had at the banquet, but he was most curious about what tipsy Yuuri was like – drunk-out-of-his-mind Yuuri had been amazing after all.

After a few moments, Victor became aware that Yuuri was staring at him, his eyes slightly glazed over. Maybe the wine was getting to him more than he’d thought?

“Victor?”

“Uh, yes?”

Suddenly flustered, Victor gulped when Yuuri put down his glass and shifted closer too. “I meant to tell you earlier. You need to work on your flexibility a little.”

Trying hard not to whimper, Victor nodded. “Oh yeah? I’m not… flexible enough?”

Yuuri shook his head, expression serious. “No, no. You’re not bad but the more flexible you are, the easier you’ll find it moving on the ice. You’ll also need to get better at warming up. You never do proper stretches and such.”

Victor nodded. “Maybe, uh, maybe next time you can show me?” It was a selfish request, of course, but seeing Yuuri fold himself in half… well.

Yuuri gave him a broad smile. “Why wait?” With that, he practically jumped off the couch and took off his belt. Victor realised he was probably going to die when Yuuri, happily babbling about the right way to stretch hamstrings, bent down, legs slightly apart, and planted both hands on the ground between them.

When he then started to twist his hips a little, Victor was sure the other man would be the death of him. “Ne, Victor, join me!” Given the hard-on throbbing in his slacks, Victor KNEW it was a bad idea. Unfortunately for him, he couldn’t hope to refuse a request like that. So, he found himself next to Yuuri, in a similar position a few moments later. He could touch the ground easily enough, though not nearly as casually as Yuuri could.

Still, he did his best, and with the exertion, his erection was going down as well – until, at the very least, Yuuri stood and grabbed his hips. With him bent in half and Yuuri behind him like that… Victor couldn’t help a small moan when Yuuri’s hands started shifting his hips a little. “Sorry, did that hurt?” Yuuri asked innocently.

Victor shivered, hands clasping his ankles in an attempt to regain his composure. “I’m fine. Just unexpected.” Yuuri’s next words were a complete blur as the other man easily manipulated Victor’s body the way he wanted it. Not a single one of his touches was even remotely inappropriate, of course, but Victor was too turned-on to care.

By the time the other man was satisfied and released Victor, he could barely even make himself stand up and stumbled to the couch in a daze. Falling into his seat and pulling a pillow into his lap was probably the least graceful thing he’d ever done… except then, Yuuri settled much closer than before, their thighs brushing, and Victor didn’t care anymore.

“Thanks for teaching me, Yuuri. I, uh, appreciate it.”

The other man had just drained the rest of his wine. “Noooo problem! I want you to succeed, you know. I think you’re talented.”

Victor’s heart soared at the unexpected words. “Oh? I’m not… you’re not annoyed that I bought your time then?”

He knew it was a distinct possibility, of course, much as he didn’t like admitting it. Yuuri pursed his lips in contemplation. “No, not anymore. I was annoyed when you were EVERYWHERE though! I was so embarrassed when we met and then there were posters and people kept asking about you… I don’t mind skating with you. It’s fun.”

Victor smiled weakly. “People… asked about me?”

Yuuri snorted. “Yeah! Did you know that everyone knows who you are? When they heard you knew me, lots of people asked about you. Even my sister from Japan called!”

Victor chuckled. “Oh? What did you tell them?”

“That I didn’t really know you!”

Victor nodded. “I see.”

“My roommate! He was the worst!”

Swallowing at the mention of the roommate, Victor smiled tersely. “Oh?”

“Mhm! He’s big on Instagram too and he said I was useless!”

At that, Victor scoffed – how dare this roommate be so rude to HIS Yuuri?

“Yeah! He said I was a useless gay for not hitting on you.” At that, Yuuri giggled to himself, while Victor’s stomach nearly dropped out of his body.

“Is that… so?”

Yuuri nodded decisively, clearly unaware of the effect he was having on Victor. “Mhm! Phichit knows I’m not like that though!”

Taking a deep breath, Victor shifted closer. “Like what?”

Yuuri met his gaze, holding it despite his obvious flush. “I don’t just like a pretty face. Though, yours is VERY pretty.”

Pleased by the compliment despite the implication that’s all he was, Victor put on his most seductive smile. “I’m not JUST a pretty face, you know.”

Yuuri grinned. “No, you’re actually nice! Phichit said you’re selfish. It’s just a shame you’re straight. I don’t hit on straight guys anyway!”

Sighing softly, Victor brushed his fingers over Yuuri’s thigh – he felt like a schoolboy with his first crush, his heart beating so loudly he feared the other man might be able to hear it. “I… see. You could hit on me though, you know. I wouldn’t… mind.”

For a moment, Yuuri’s unfocused eyes seemed to regain their focus, staring into his soul. Then his serious expression gave way to a slightly goofy smile. “Ohhh?”

Victor nodded, his fingers trembling a little as he leaned closer, a mere few inches between them. “Yeah. Yuuri, I think you should do it. Hit on me.”

To his disappointment, Yuuri’s only reaction was a giggle. “I don’t flirt with straight men. ‘S not good for me.”

Victor huffed. “I’m not… not as straight as you think I am.” For one glorious moment, when Yuuri leaned forward, closer to him, he thought the other man would touch him, kiss him… except then he twisted himself and picked up Victor’s wine glass, tossing back its content in one long hard swallow.

Victor felt a shiver pass through him, even as he realised that Yuuri was once again too drunk, that he couldn’t make a move, probably shouldn’t have said as much as he had… he reached for his phone to call him a cab, knowing full well that he wasn’t safe to drive the other man, not when he was being such a… distraction.

Yuuri stopped him, his fingers encircling Victor’s wrist and fixing it in place with an iron grip. “What are you doing?” The other man asked, now suddenly too close for comfort.

“I… wanted to call you a cab. You’re… drunk.”

Yuuri snickered. “I’m not DRUNK silly, just tipsy.”

The way he swayed forwards suggested otherwise, and that was on top of his unfocused eyes and flushed face. Victor cursed quietly. “Then… what do you want to do, if you don’t want to go home?” He regretted asking as soon as Yuuri turned over and knelt on the couch, practically pressing him back into it, an excited look on his face.

An hour ago Victor would have killed to be in that exact position. Now that he was, he was very aware that he couldn’t want what he was after… it was torture. The extremely excited look on Yuuri’s face didn’t help either – it was absolutely adorable.

Steadying himself against the backrest of the couch, he smiled weakly. “W-What is it, Yuuri?” The other man leaned closer, so close that Victor could feel his breath on his cheek, could smell the wine.

"I want to do it with you, ne, Victor?” Moaning at the sudden words, he shifted away, further back. That had come… out of nowhere, and it hurt.

Yuuri wanted and he couldn’t give in, despite never having wanted anything more in his life. He wasn’t that sort of man. Unfortunately for him, Yuuri didn’t seem to care and followed him until he was nearly on top of him. “Let’s do it together, okay, Victor? On your phone?”

He blinked in surprise. “On my… phone?”

Yuuri nodded eagerly. “Yes! Let’s look at photos of poodles together!”

Wow.


	30. Chapter 30

Come morning, Yuuri felt too warm, his mind a tad dizzy. His eyes blinked open almost of their own accord and he realised he had a bit of a hangover – nothing too bad, but enough to make him wince. Unfocused as the world was, he could still easily tell he wasn’t in his own room.

The room he was in was much lighter coloured, the bed softer and bigger. When something shifted against his back, he stiffened – what had HAPPENED the night before? The last thing he could remember was having dinner with Chris and Victor and then… he vaguely recalled doing the dishes, but that was it.

Something scratched down his back and he squirmed away from it, looking over his shoulder – to his surprise and relief, he came face to face with fur – Makkachin. Relaxing a little, he turned fully and scratched the poodle’s head. Somehow, he had ended up in Victor’s bed, apparently. Makka rolled over and begged him for belly-rubs.

Scratching her, he waited for the pounding in his head to subside a little. Thankfully, it didn’t take too long, and he sat up with a sigh. Relieved to find his glasses on his bedside table, he put them on and stood. After putting his clothes in order, he slowly wandered out of the bedroom – to his relief, he found Victor easily.

Said relief only lasted for a few moments though, because the other man was leaning against the kitchen counter wearing only a pair of low-riding sweatpants and no shirt. His heart skipped a beat – he’d seen pictures on Instagram of him shirtless but somehow, he was actually MORE attractive in person. Yuuri could suddenly imagine VERY vividly to run his tongue down the man’s defined abs.

He shook off the thought when Victor spotted him and smiled broadly. “Good morning, Yuuri! How are you?”

He shrugged. “I’m, uh, fine? How exactly did I end up in your bed? What… happened last night?”

Victor’s smile froze a little. “You don’t… remember?”

He winced. “Uh, no? I think I may have had too much wine. I don’t have a good tolerance.”

Victor nodded. “I see. Well, uh, we looked at dog photos together and you passed out on the couch. I carried you to bed and kicked Chris out to the couch so you could sleep.”

“And...where did you sleep?” Yuuri asked, a little wearily. Victor raised an eyebrow.

“Next to you? I only have one bed and one couch. You don’t mind, do you?” Oh, he minded plenty. Chuckling awkwardly, he shook his head no – he couldn’t well complain, could he?

Victor turned and reached for a second mug, pouring more coffee into it while treating Yuuri to an excellent view of his back. He nearly groaned – the other man had dimples on his lower back. Yuuri hadn’t even known he had a thing for them, but as he watched Victor bend over the counter to fish for sugar, he realised he very much did.

Forcing his eyes away, he waited for Victor to put two sugar-cubes into the cup. He accepted it easily, vaguely wondering how Victor knew how he took his coffee, but too grateful for the hot liquid to truly care.

“Ne, Victor… last night, I didn’t do anything bad, did I? Sometimes when I drink, I get a little...” He trailed off with a wince. Victor laughed happily.

"Not at all! You showed me some stretching exercises to do before skating, we looked at dog photos and you flirted with me a little, that’s it.”

Yuuri nearly choked on his coffee, coughing when some of it went down the wrong pipe. Victor gave him a concerned look. “You okay?”

Nodding, he cleared his throat once the coughing stopped. “I did… what?” He felt a little faint – surely even drunk Yuuri had better judgement than to flirt with a straight man so far out of his league they were barely even the same species?

Victor shrugged. “Mhm, you showed me some new stretches. They were actually quite good. I woke up sore this morning and doing them helped.”

Yuuri gulped. “And, uh, I didn’t… make you uncomfortable or anything?”

For a long moment, Victor just stared, then a smug grin settled on his features and he winked at Yuuri. “Not at all! I had lots of fun.”

He would never drink alcohol again, he swore to himself.


	31. Chapter 31

Victor pressed his lips into a thin line as he hit the ice once again. He wasn’t doing too well. In fact, the majority of the day hadn’t quite worked out the way he’d hoped. He’d woken up before Yuuri, unwrapped himself from the other man who had cuddled up to him while asleep with some difficulty and gone to make coffee, still well aware of how strong arms had held him minutes before.

Then Yuuri had stumbled out of the bedroom and told him he didn’t remember – who had a blackout after less than half a dozen glasses of wine? Worse yet, Yuuri had been shocked, terrified even, when he’d told him what had happened. He hadn’t exactly hoped for excited, but a positive reaction of some sort would have been nice.

The only positive was that he hadn’t missed the way Yuuri had raked his eyes over him when coming out of the bedroom – nor the way his eyes had glued to his ass when he’d turned around. He’d seen a reflection of it on the glass of the microwave, and seeing the interest in the other man felt… a little like relief. He had a chance, sort of.

He could work with that. Still, Yuuri had been all too eager to go home, leaving him alone in the flat – Chris had left hours earlier, thanking him for the place to stay and for keeping quiet with Yuuri. He hadn’t even bothered texting to correct him – it would only give the other man more to tease him about.

Yuuri had offered to cancel or postpone their training session because of his bruises – though few of them were visible on his skin, he ached in several places. He had refused, had insisted on training. He regretted that very much as soon as he’d stepped on the ice – he felt worse than the first time he’d tried skating, and he wasn’t doing much better either.

Forcing himself up, he decided to try again – he was still skating spirals, under Yuuri’s supervision, but he was getting frustrated with himself. He wanted to make progress, wanted to impress Yuuri, not fall and fall and fall.

“Maybe we should take a break, Victor. There’s no point in you injuring yourself or straining yourself like this. It’s better to let your body recover and then start from there.”

Victor scowled – he knew Yuuri was right, but he didn’t want to acknowledge it. He didn’t want to leave. “I’m fine.”

A hand settled on his shoulder. “You’re not. Honestly, as your coach, you should listen to me.”

Deepening his scowl, he shook off the hand. “I know what I can handle.” Yuuri’s expression clearly showed he disagreed very much, but he said nothing as Victor tried another spiral, faster this time, fuelled by his anger at himself.

Surprisingly enough, it went a lot better than his other attempts had, his speed carrying him past the point where he normally fell… except then his ankle and calf cramped up and he lost his balance. Strong arms wrapped around him moments before he’d have fallen sideways, head-first most likely.

It caught him off-guard when instead he was pulled backwards, still falling but against a warm body rather than towards the unforgiving ice. His warm pillow groaned as they impacted the rink, arms tightening around his middle before releasing him entirely.

Scrambling off Yuuri, he turned around – the other man was visibly in pain. Victor cursed – he knew he was heavier than Yuuri. Catching him like that had to have hurt. “I’m sorry, I just-”

“It’s fine. Just… please stop for today?” Nodding sheepishly, he carefully stood, both hurt and unsurprised when Yuuri ignored the hand up he offered him in favour of standing up alone.

They both skated quietly to the exit of the rink, Victor stepping off the ice first. Yuuri didn’t meet his eyes as he walked over to his own skate-guards, slipping them on with practised ease before walking towards the changing rooms.

Victor didn’t bother with them and sat next to his shoes, changing into them. In his selfish desire to make progress, to not fail or give up, he’d not only risked his own health but actually hurt Yuuri – he felt terrible about it.

The fact that the other man had neither yelled nor otherwise expressed his anger made it worse – Victor could deal with yelling, could deal with talking about it… watching Yuuri simply walk off was more difficult. It didn’t help that when the man returned a few minutes later, he wore an obviously deliberate non-expression.

A bottle of sports drink was practically shoved into his face by the Japanese man and he carefully sipped some of it as he waited for the other to say something. “Are you… hurt?” Yuuri eventually asked him.

“No, not at all. I’m fine. What about you?”

He waved him off. “Nothing I haven’t had worse off. Please listen to me next time I tell you something.”

Victor winced. “I… I will. I’m sorry.” Yuuri nodded, seemingly satisfied.

“I’m going to keep training, you should go home. We can try again in a day or two.” He nodded meekly and watched as Yuuri stepped back onto the ice and started his own training.

Unwilling to interfere for once despite his desire to watch, he packed up and headed home – he’d done enough damage for one day.


	32. Chapter 32

Yuuri cursed as he flubbed his fourth jump in a row. He was too distracted to skate properly. After the morning’s events and then Victor’s fall, there was too much on his mind. The other man hadn’t listened and had very nearly gotten hurt because of it.

It didn’t help that when he’d pulled the other backwards, tumbling back, the sensation of Victor’s firm body against his own had completely drowned out the pain of crashing onto the ice. He’d been angry at him for disobeying and then immediately felt terrible for it because clearly Victor was in pain, and he hadn’t done it deliberately.

The man had scurried off like a dog with his tail between his legs after Yuuri told him to go home, and he felt bad for being so short with him. He’d gotten so caught up in his strange reactions to the man, he’d forgotten the more important things – Victor’s well-being, for one, and his skating.

He tried another jump.

He didn’t fall this time but touched down on his landing. Clearly, there wasn’t much point to what he was doing. He skated to the barrier and stepped off the ice for the second time. Back in the changing rooms, he quickly found his phone beeping with a notification and checked it quickly – Victor had sent him three texts.

He opened them. ‘Sorry for not listening, coach. I’ll do better next time.’ was the first one. ‘I hope I didn’t hurt you, and I’m also sorry if I made you uncomfortable this morning.’ was the second one. The final one read ‘If there’s a way for me to make up for it, please tell me? <3’

Yuuri felt like an idiot, again. Victor thought it was all his fault? He sighed as he pressed the Call button and dialled the other man’s number. It barely rung twice before an excited sounding “Yuuri!” alerted him to the fact that Victor had picked up.

“Hey Victor… I wanted to apologise to you. It’s really not your fault. I was a little hung-over this morning and I should probably not have let you skate at all.”

“No, no! I’m the one at fault! I gave you the wine last night and I refused to listen to your advice. I’m just sorry I hurt you.”

Yuuri opened his mouth to reply but before he could, his phone buzzed against his ear. “Sorry, I have another call. Can I call you back in a second?” He asked awkwardly.

“Of course, Yuuri! Call me back whenever.”

The second call was from Phichit. “Yuuri, you’ll never guess what I just got invited to!”

He sighed. He actually COULD guess – a party, probably. “Oh?”

“Yeah! There’s this amazing party tonight! You should come!”

“Phichit, you know I don’t like parties.”

“Yes, but this one is different! It’s more of a meet and greet for social media stars! And I’ve been invited!”

Yuuri chuckled softly. “And, uh, what about that sounds like I’d enjoy it?”

He could practically see Phichit’s smirk as the other man responded. “Well, you could take your new beau with you. I’m sure HE’D like it.”

“I am NOT dating Victor.”

Phichit sighed. “I believe you, but you SHOULD be trying to. I mean I’d go gay for him, probably. Have you SEEN him?”

Oh, he had. Mostly naked. He’d felt him too. Yuuri was glad Phichit couldn’t see him blush. “Essentially, you want me to invite him so YOU can meet him, right?” He said in a defeated tone.

“Well, sort of. Pretty please? I’m sure he got an invite anyway but he hasn’t been to any event like that in ages. Please ask?”

Yuuri bit his lip in contemplation – Phichit rarely asked for favours like that, and it wasn’t exactly a big one either. Still, it would mean MORE time spent around Victor, and at a party to boot.

“I’ll ask, but I can’t promise he’ll accept.”

Phichit whooped on the other end of the line. “Thank you, Yuuri! You’re the best! I owe you one!” Smiling to himself, Yuuri said goodbye, hung up and called Victor back. The man picked up immediately again.

“Sorry about that, my roommate called.”

“No problem! Phichit, right? I’ve seen his Instagram.”

“Yup, that’s right. Say, uhm, this is going to sound a little awkward and sudden but could I… possibly ask you for a favour?”

“Of course, anything!” Victor didn’t even hesitate with his answer.

“Y-You don’t have to say yes, honestly. It’s just, uh, Phichit asked me to invite you to this party?” Victor chuckled.

“A party?”

“Yes, something for social media stars, apparently? Tonight?”

“Oh yes, I got an invite too. Your friend wants me to go?”

“Well… yes. He’d like to meet you and I said I’d at least ask. You can really say no if you don’t want to.”

A musical laugh rang in his ears. “Ah, a party together with my favourite figure skater? How could I resist. Shall I pick you both up at seven? I’ll drive us there.”

“Uh, sure? If that’s okay for you?”

“But of course. I’ll see you later!”

With that, Victor hung up. Yuuri blinked down at his phone in confusion. His… favourite figure skater? Surely, he’d imagined it, but Victor almost sounded… flirty when he’d said it? Shaking his head, Yuuri changed out of his training clothes and into his regular clothing before heading home. He had to get ready, and god only knew what he’d wear… or how Phichit would take the news that he would indeed be meeting Victor.

Phichit was, in one word, overjoyed. As soon as Yuuri got home, he was swept up in his younger friend’s excitement. Phichit leant him clothes from his own closet, declaring everything Yuuri owned unsuitable.

His hair was slicked back, his eyebrows plucked, despite his best protests and he only narrowly escaped make-up. It was bad enough he had to wear it for his performances, he wasn’t about to wear it for anything else. When Phichit was finally happy with his looks, he gave himself the same treatment – hairspray, a touch of makeup, a shirt and slacks he kept for ‘special occasions’.

Yuuri sat on his roommate’s bed as he waited out the storm that was an excited Phichit. It was just easier that way. Phichit was in the middle of singing something, entirely off-key, when Yuuri’s phone beeped with a text from Victor. ‘Purple or pink?’ it read – a moment later, a photo appeared. Victor was holding up two ties, his white shirt unbuttoned and revealing his toned body.

He forced himself to actually look at the ties. ‘Purple!’ he texted back and received a winking smiley in return. It was funny that Victor and Phichit seemed a little similar in their approach to the party. His phone buzzed again. This time Victor was showing him two different suit-jackets. One was dark grey and one black.

‘Which do you like better?’ The text accompanying the photo read. ‘Grey’ he texted back – it looked better with his pale colouring. A few minutes, he received another photo – Victor, dressed in the suit-jacket, shirt and the tie. He was winking at the camera, the tie loose around his neck and Yuuri blushed scarlet.

Of course, it was at that exact moment that Phichit turned his attention to him. “Yuuri? What’s wrong?”

Sighing, he turned his phone around for Phichit to see. His friend whistled. “That’s quite a photo. Can I expect a happy announcement soon?”

Yuuri just glared. “Don’t be silly. He just asked me to pick his tie and jacket for him.”

Phichit snickered. “That so? You mean the man that makes a living expertly combining designer clothes asked YOU for fashion advice without an ulterior motive? Sure, sure.” Blushing down at his phone, Yuuri decided to send a photo of himself back. It was only fair. He did his best to not slouch for it, to smile at the camera as he took the shot – the result was a somewhat awkward smirk, but it wasn’t the worst he’d ever looked, so he sent it before he could think better of it.

The reply from Victor only took a few seconds. ‘<3<3<3<3<3’ it read, nothing else. Yuuri put down his phone. Victor was just being polite after all – his heart skipping a beat at the other man’s approval was entirely uncalled for, he knew.

Half an hour later his phone buzzed again. ‘Be there in 15?’ it read. ‘Sounds good, we’ll be out front.’ He texted back before warning Phichit that it was time. His friend had been ready for a bit, but excitement was still coming off of him in nearly visible waves as he dragged Yuuri to the door nearly ten minutes early.

As it turned out, they needn’t have worried though – Victor was already waiting, clad in the grey suit and purple tie Yuuri had chosen, casually leaning against… a stretch limo. Yuuri gaped a little. “Yuuri! I didn’t want to be late again, so I came early! You look amazing!” Nodding dumbly, he looked back and forth between the man and the limo.

“Yes, uh, this is Phichit. Phichit, Victor, Victor, Phichit.” He knew his introduction was lame, of course, but Phichit didn’t seem too bothered as he happily started chattering to Victor.

They were still talking about everything and nothing when the three of them were sat in the back of the limo not long after – Victor had hired a driver. Yuuri had never felt so out of his place in his life, even though Victor’s thigh pressing against his was a not entirely unwelcome distraction from the luxury of it all.

He hadn’t bothered to find out the venue of the event from either man, so when they pulled up at the Cobo Center by the riverfront, he couldn’t have been more surprised. Victor gently ushered him out of the car and led them both to the entrance.

Phichit was already eagerly taking photos of anything and everything.

“Are you okay?” Victor asked in a low voice.

“Hm?”

“You look a little overwhelmed.”

He grimaced a little. “That’s fine. I’m, uh, not used to this stuff? Phichit loves it. I don’t think I’ve ever done this sort of thing.”

Victor nodded in understanding. “I don’t go too often but these things can be fun. Let me know if you want to leave at any point, I’ll happily take you home.”

Yuuri shook his head. “It’s fine. I’m sure it’ll be… nice.”

Victor smiled softly. “Thank you for helping me pick what to wear earlier.” Yuuri blushed when the older man winked at him.

“Uh, sure. I’m not… not really the fashionable type though.”

“Oh? You look really good though.”

Yuuri awkwardly tugged at his sleeve. “This is Phichit’s. He insisted on me wearing it. I’m more of a t-shirt person.”

Victor chuckled as they stepped into an elevator. “I see. Maybe I should take you suit-shopping some time?”

He shook his head. “No! I mean, I could never afford the kind of stuff you wear, and I don’t enjoy shopping that much anyway.”

Victor shrugged. “Fair enough. Let me know if you ever change your mind!” The elevator re-opened, letting the three of them step out onto what looked like a fully decked-out banquet hall.

Yuuri looked around with genuine interest – outside of functions related to figure skating, he hadn’t exactly attended events like that. To his disappointment, both Victor and Phichit were immediately drawn away by acquaintances, leaving him alone and relatively uncomfortable. He was rather surprised when he spotted another familiar face near a table with refreshments and wandered over.

“Hello, JJ!” He greeted the other skater. The man was clearly surprised to see him and made no move to hide this either.

“You… Yuuri Katsuki?”

He nodded. “Wow! I didn’t realise you’d be here! I thought this event was supposed to be for social media starlets?”

Yuuri shrugged. “It is. I’m accompanying a friend. I didn’t realise you’d be here either though.”

JJ chuckled. “Well, yes. I was in Detroit for an exhibition and decided to drop by. So, who are you here with, then? Another skater?” Before he could confirm that it was Phichit, a warm hand settled on the small of his back.

“With me, actually. Pleasure to meet you.” Victor had stepped up from behind him so suddenly, Yuuri hadn’t noticed him coming at all.

Apparently, JJ hadn’t either because the man’s face was an expression of pure shock. It was… amusing, to say the least. “You? Victor Nikiforov? YOU invited him here?”

Victor nodded, sipping from a champagne flute he’d acquired from somewhere. “Wow! I didn’t know you even knew he existed.”

Yuuri knew he shouldn’t be offended, of course – JJ was well-known for being a bit tactless and Yuuri WAS unknown… still, he was a little bothered by the man’s blunt words. “Is that so? He happens to my favourite figure skater, followed closely by my friend Chris. I watched both of them skate in the Grand Prix Final not too long ago. Have you heard of it?”

He had to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing out loud at Victor’s ‘innocent’ question. Before JJ could get over his complete bafflement, Yuuri mumbled a ‘Well, nice to see you’ and drew Victor away by his hand.

Letting go as soon as they were a few steps out of sight, he blushed a little at the realisation that Victor hadn’t protested them holding hands at all. “Something wrong, Yuuri?”

Victor looked him over in concern. “Did that Canadian say something rude?” Yuuri shook his head. “Not at all. That’s just what he’s like.”

“So you know him?”

Yuuri blinked twice.

“Uhm, don’t you?”

“Never seen him before in my life.”

Yuuri couldn’t help his giggle at Victor’s answer. “Really? You, sort of, have? I mean, the GP Final… he was in it. He came in third, actually.”

Victor gave him a round-eyed expression. “Really? I had no idea! I didn’t even notice him. Ah well. He WAS being unpleasant to you, so I hardly care about offending him.”

“Thanks.” Yuuri said with sincerity – people didn’t stand up for him very much and though he had been perfectly fine, it was… nice. Victor simply nodded.

“Would you like to get some refreshments?”

“Ah, that’s fine, you must have people to speak to?”

Victor shrugged. “I suppose, but I’m here with you. I can’t just abandon you like that!”

Yuuri grinned. “Don’t worry about it. Go make your rounds, we can always meet up again later?” Victor studied him for a moment, then emptied his champagne flute and walked back towards the room. The other man was immediately surrounded by others again – half a dozen men and women, chattering excitedly.

He himself was content to watch from a corner, not at all keen on joining the bustle of the party. It was Phichit who sought him out next. “Sooooo, my friend. An interesting rumour is spreading.”

“Huh?” He turned to the Thai skater.

“Apparently, Victor Nikiforov is here with some figure skater and people can’t work out if it’s me, JJ or if Chris Giacometti is running around here somewhere.”

Yuuri snorted. “Is that so?”

“Mhm. That, however, isn’t what I find interesting. I saw you when you were talking to JJ earlier.” Yuuri nodded.

“You should have seen Victor – as soon as he spotted you two, he beelined it over to you and practically intimidated JJ away from you.”

“What? No! He was polite enough. I mean, he did help me get away from JJ, but he wasn’t intimidating at all.” His friend chuckled.

"You didn’t see the way he practically puffed himself up before approaching. He was acting quite… dare I say it, possessive.”

“Give it a rest, Phichit. It’s not like that, I keep telling you.”

His friend gave him an oddly calculating look before shrugging. “Don’t believe me then, but I’m telling you, it’s true. Where is your fancy date off to anyway?”

“Ah, I told him he should make the rounds. He wanted to stay in the corner with me and I told him not to.”

“I see. Well, I’ve said hey to everyone I know. Did you check the seating arrangements yet?” Yuuri looked around the decidedly dinner-table less room.

“Uh… seating?” Phichit gave him a pointed look.

“There’s a gala dinner in half an hour? Didn’t I tell you?” He shook his head.

“Oh my. Well, let’s go and have a look, shall we?” Yuuri found himself dragged to another table by Phichit who immediately started looking over the seating arrangements.

“Hm, I had your name put on the guestlist as my plus one earlier… yup, you’re at the same table as me.”

“And Victor?”

Phichit studied the plan a little more. “Halfway across the room with a couple big shots. Sorry, Yuuri.”

“It’s fine, I was just curious. JJ?”

“At Victor’s table. Poor guy.”

Yuuri snorted. “Did you hear what Victor said to him?”

Phichit shook his head. “Well, when he came over, he REALLY put JJ in his place.” Yuuri began.


	33. Chapter 33

Victor had never hated socialising more than at that party. He was good at it of course, and had no trouble feigning interest in the people that approached him, but all he wanted was to stick close to Yuuri. He’d nearly run straight into a wall when the other man had sent him that photo of himself earlier and seeing him in person hadn’t helped any.

Katsuki Yuuri was absolutely gorgeous and Victor would prefer not to leave his side at all. The encounter with that pompous Canadian – who wore a flag-pin to an event like that anyway – had only proven that it was better for him to stay close.

He hadn’t missed the way Yuuri had shied away from the other and had immediately gone over to rescue his date. That the whole thing had ended with Yuuri holding his hand and leading him to a secluded corner had only been all the better.

Victor hadn’t expected a chance to make up for his screw-ups so soon – he certainly hadn’t expected Yuuri to invite him on a second date so quickly. Still, it had happened – he had been quite glad when Phichit, Yuuri’s roommate had taken a quick liking to him as well. The younger man was nice, and not nearly as star-struck as Victor had feared at first.

He kept an eye on the pair as he made the rounds – they went from chatting by the window to studying the seating plan for the dinner. Victor stiffened a little when he realised, he hadn’t called ahead to have Yuuri sit with him, and as soon as the pair walked away, he picked up the plan – unsurprisingly, Yuuri was half-way across the room.

When he spotted JJ at his own table, he had half a mind to simply ask an organiser to swap them… but that would leave Phichit alone with the man and might make Yuuri uncomfortable as well. Discarding that idea, he quickly glanced around for one of the organisers. Wearing his brightest smile, he waved one over.

The woman was already blushing when she approached him, so it really wasn’t any surprise when she was happy to take one of the other table-mates from Yuuri’s table and swap them with himself, even if she did seem confused by the request.

That task accomplished, Victor looked around for Yuuri again – the man was leaning against a pillar a few steps away, casually studying the room. For all that Victor knew this wasn’t his environment, Yuuri absolutely looked like he owned the room.

Mouth a little dry, Victor walked over to him. Yuuri’s mouth twitched up in a shy smile when he spotted him coming and Victor had to make an effort not to trip over his own feet at the sight of him – it still made his head spin how easily Yuuri influenced him.

“Hey! All done greeting people?”

Victor nodded.

“Just about. Are you looking forward to the dinner?”

Yuuri laughed. “Ah, sure. I didn’t actually know there was going to be one? Did you check the seating arrangements? Unfortunately, you’re not at the same table as us…”

Victor chuckled. “Oh, but I am! I asked one of the organisers to change us around a bit. You didn’t think I’d just leave you to it, right, Yuuri?” He pouted a little for dramatic effect.

“Uh, well… are you sure that’s okay?”

Victor nodded. “Of course. I’d rather have dinner with you than that JJ.”

The shorter man grimaced. “He was at your table, I saw. Well…”

“Mhm. Hardly much of a decision who I’d rather sit with.”

Yuuri met his eyes with something like a challenge sparking in them. “Oh? He IS the better skater, you know.”

Victor waved him off. “No, he’s not. Apparently, I saw him perform and I didn’t even remember he existed. He can’t be very good if he left that little of an impression, now can he?” Yuuri’s wide-eyed stare was answer enough – Victor preened a little.

“Either way, would you like to head downstairs already? If we go now, we’ll be able to sit down quietly without the elevators being too full.”

After a moment, Yuuri nodded and the two of them walked side by side to the elevator. Indeed, it was empty save for them, and Victor suddenly found his mind wandering to the Grand Prix banquet elevator ride. Yuuri had called him pretty and said he wasn’t interested… and yet there they were, on their second date.

Leading Yuuri to the table he knew to be theirs, he was pleased when other than them, only a handful of guests were seated at the tables, and none at theirs. Victor easily discarded the name tag of the person he’d swapped with as he sat next to Yuuri.

“Are you enjoying yourself?” He asked the other man.

“Well… it’s not as bad as I’d feared? I just feel a little out of place, that’s all.”

Victor nodded. “Hm, maybe next time we go somewhere we can do something you’re comfortable with?”

Yuuri tilted his head in confusion. “Next time? So… you want to do something like this again?”

Victor nodded eagerly, a little offended the other man even had to ask. “Of course! I’ve told you multiple times, haven’t I? I like you. That means wanting to spend time with you.” Yuuri gave a small nod but didn’t answer – still, Victor took it as a win and subtly scooted his chair a little closer until he could feel the shorter man’s body heat radiate against him.


	34. Chapter 34

Yuuri was having a hard time staying rational. He KNEW they weren’t on a date, that dinner hadn’t been a date and that they would never GO on a date. He knew that. Objectively. If it HAD been a date, the word would have been mentioned at some point. At any point. It hadn’t been.

Victor was straight, Yuuri was not. Victor was his student. He was literally paying for Yuuri’s time. It wasn’t a date. Absolutely not. Even if Victor seemed to be touching him a lot. Even if their thighs pressed together while they ate, and in a way that shouldn’t feel so familiar. Even if Victor’s smiles seemed brighter when directed at him.

Even if Phichit kept giving him knowing looks, and even if Victor leaned on him more and more the longer the evening went on and the more he drank. Yuuri was a little impressed by the sheer amount of alcohol the other had consumed – he himself had stopped after his second glass of champagne.

Because of that though, it was getting harder and harder to ignore the other man’s random touches and occasional whispers. Eventually, it was Phichit that decided Victor needed to go home when the older man had taken his tie off, put it around Yuuri’s neck and set about unbuttoning his shirt. The other three people around their table – all women – had been disappointed when Phichit had used Victor’s phone to call the limo.

Ten minutes later, Yuuri hated his life. He’d agreed to ride with Victor to make sure the other got home safe and sitting in the car with a progressively more handsy Victor was starting to test his patience. He was gay after all and Victor WAS extremely attractive. A flush brought on by booze and his shirt mostly unbuttoned did nothing to take away from that attractiveness.

Getting Victor back to his flat was… an event to say the least. The few steps to the elevator and then down the hall took far longer than they were supposed to. By the time he closed the door behind them both and Victor was enthusiastically greeting Makkachin, Yuuri was beyond relieved.

It didn’t last long because mere moments later, Victor had grabbed his hand and pulled him down on the couch next to him.

“Yuuuuri!” The Russian crooned.

“What is it, Victor?”

“You brought me home!”

“That’s right. You’re drunk.”

The other man chuckled. “Not THAT drunk. Just… tipsy.”

Elegant fingers playing down the tie that Yuuri still hadn’t taken off, Victor smiled warmly.

“No, you’re more than tipsy. Let’s get you to bed, yeah?”

Victor liked that suggestion if the way he jumped up was anything to go by – he stumbled twice on his way to the bedroom, but other than that, he seemed relatively okay. Yuuri followed a few steps behind. Victor was already stripped down to his underwear by the time he reached the bedroom. Almost unbidden, his eyes travelled across the exposed skin – there was no denying it, Victor was stunning.

“Like what you see?” Victor teased, making him blush scarlet. He hadn’t meant to get caught looking.

“You should get in bed.” Victor shook his head.

“Not without you! You should sleep with me!”

“What? No! I’m not going to – just, no!”

“I’ve seen you look at me, Yuuri.”

“I-I don’t know what you mean.”

Victor stood and approached, backing Yuuri up against the door. “You do know. I’m not blind.”

“You’re straight.”

Victor huffed. “I don’t care. I want… you. I’ve wanted you since I first saw you.”

A pit opened up in Yuuri’s stomach. “Oh? Is that so? Is that what all of this is about? You getting some experimenting done?”

Victor, still smiling, leaned closer. “No. I just… want. I can see you want me too. Won’t you take me?” They were mere inches apart, Victor’s breath hot on his lips, the sour smell of alcohol light in the air.

Something in him snapped – Yuuri had heard it too many times, straight men looking at gay Asian ones to satisfy their curiosity. He’d thought better of Victor, hadn’t expected him to be so careless or cruel. Still, Yuuri wasn’t some meek puppet to be played with.

He roughly grabbed the taller man, shoved him backwards and onto the bed before following and pressing him down, holding his wrists. He expected Victor to struggle, however the man clearly hadn’t caught on just yet as he simply wore a sappy smile and arched against Yuuri as he leaned down over him.

Pressing their mouths together was easy, and for a moment Yuuri got fully caught up in how good it felt, how natural. The Victor moaned against him, his lips pliant and parted, and Yuuri remembered why he was kissing Victor at all. His kiss turned punishing, biting even.

He kissed the other man until Victor was entirely breathless, eyes glassy and obviously aroused. Yuuri was half-hard too, even as he forced himself to get off the bed. “I’m NOT a toy, Victor, nor am I some kind of experiment for you. Sleep well.”

He ignored Victor’s requests for him to wait, for him to stay, as he stalked outside and flagged down the first cab he saw.


	35. Chapter 35

Victor knew he had had a few more than necessary, but he’d been so happy to be with Yuuri again, to be around the man he so loved… he simply hadn’t paid attention. The touches, the brushes of thighs or arms felt absolutely electric, and every touch made him want more.

He acted up the drunk part quite a bit as time went on, hoping that Yuuri would volunteer to take him home. He did – Victor couldn’t have been happier when they were sat in the car, driving to Victor’s flat.

He only revised that opinion when they were sat together, on the couch, when he took hold of the tie he’d put around Yuuri’s neck. It wasn’t his colour, but it felt like he’d staked a claim and he had to resist the urge to yank the other man closer, to press their lips together in one of those desperate, frenzied kisses he’d been dreaming about for weeks.

When Yuuri told him to go to bed, he stumbled there, heart nearly beating out of his chest with excitement as he yanked off his clothes until only his underwear remained. Yuuri followed, appraised him so openly it made Victor’s skin feel hot everywhere the other’s eyes travelled.

It felt… good, even without them touching. Of course, alone in his bedroom like that, not touching wasn’t enough anymore. He needed more. His body moved on autopilot, crowding the shorter man against the door until they were sharing breath.

Victor knew what he wanted, knew what his body craved but he also knew he wasn’t going to take it without permission, that it would be up to Yuuri to take the first step closer. When he finally did it, Victor couldn’t have thought of a more perfect way for him to go about it.

He was pushed back, roughly forced down on the bed and then pinned down and it was easily the hottest thing he’d ever experienced. He didn’t even try to stop himself from arching up against Yuuri, from brushing their bodies together, from testing the strength of Yuuri’s hold.

He’d never been on that side of things and he suddenly wondered why – he couldn’t remember anything ever feeling so right, so perfect. Then Yuuri leaned down and kissed him, finally, their lips moving against each other as if they’d been made for it, as if that was all they’d done their entire lives. Then the kiss changed, and gentle pressure turned into fierce exploration. Victor didn’t hesitate for a second to submit to it, to let Yuuri ravage him.

He lost awareness of everything other than Yuuri’s mouth on his, his body above him. It was over far too soon, his body gulping for air he didn’t want, at least not if it meant that the kissing would stop.

Half-way to chasing Yuuri’s lips with his own, he noticed the expression on his face – it wasn’t arousal, desire, or even affection – it was anger, and it was sobering. Before he could ask what was wrong though, Yuuri announced he wasn’t a toy and simply left.

Confused, drunk, and aroused, Victor tried to stumble after him but Yuuri was long gone by the time he made it to his front door. Victor collapsed next to the couch, tears stinging in his eyes – he didn’t know what had happened, what he’d done wrong. His next few actions were nearly automatic – he grabbed his phone and called Chris.

“Are you… still in Detroit?”

“Yeah. What is it? You don’t sound so good?” Chris sounded concerned.

“I… I need a friend? Please?”

A moment of silence fell, then Chris hummed. “I’ll be there in ten minutes. Your flat, yeah?”

“Yes.”

The call cut off and Victor simply stayed where he was, leaning against the back of the couch, a few tears spilling down his cheeks.

Chris let himself in not long after – he couldn’t have said if it was ten minutes or thirty. His friend took one look at him and half-lifted him up, dragging him back into the bedroom. He dug through his wardrobe for a robe and wrapped Victor up in it – he simply let it happen, not caring all that much about what was going on.

“Now, tell me what happened. I’m guessing this is about Yuuri?”

He nodded. “I don’t… know what happened, Chris. We were back from a party. I had a few too many and Yuuri brought me home. I caught him staring and called him out on it. He… he pushed me down, kissed me senseless.”

He swallowed, his fingers pressing down on his lips. “It was wonderful, Chris. It was perfect, like we were made for each other. Then… he suddenly just… he left.”

Chris expression was one of puzzlement and concern as he sat next to Victor. “Did he… say something?”

Victor hiccupped lightly. “He said he wasn’t a toy, and then he just walked out. I don’t understand, Chris? What did I do wrong? I told him he could have me, that I wanted him. He kissed me like he was going to swallow me whole. And then just…”

To his surprise, his friend wore a more serious expression than he was used to seeing from the Swiss skater. “Victor… I have some idea of what it could be. You didn’t tell him how you felt, did you?”

He shook his head. “I didn’t want to… to scare him.”

Chris sighed. “I see. There’s something you should know – it’s about gay Asian men, specifically…”

He nodded for Chris to tell him.

“There’s sort of a stereotype, I guess. Gay Westerners that can’t face their sexuality often seek out more effeminate Asian men in order to be with a less ‘manly’ man. It’s… it’s a thing, in the community. If he thought that’s what you were doing…”

Victor’s blood ran cold. “But… but doesn’t he know I’m not like that? Surely, he knows? I never tried to push anything, I let him make the first step and all.”

“Yes, but Victor… if he thought that’s what you were after… Look, for now, all you can do is wait. Tomorrow, call him, go see him or something.”

He nodded slowly. “Can you stay tonight?”

Chris chuckled. “I was actually on my way to the airport when you called. You’re paying for a new flight home, yeah?”

Victor sniffled. “First class, extra legroom. Promise.”

Chris chuckled and wrapped him into a half-hug. “I’ll hold you to it.”


	36. Chapter 36

By the time Yuuri was done telling Phichit what had happened, there were tears burning in his eyes, though he refused to let them fall. His friend having come home before him listened patiently to his story, nodding from time to time.

“That’s… wow, Yuuri, I can’t believe he’d do that. I mean, I heard he can be a bit of a dick, but that’s… are you sure it wasn’t a misunderstanding?”

Yuuri grimaced. “Of course I’m sure. Look at him and look at me. For what OTHER reason would he be interested in me? I should have figured it out sooner. He was perfectly fine and then he just suddenly decided he wanted to play games!”

Phichit sighed. “I… believe you, but honestly, he didn’t seem that way tonight. He never even took his eyes off you. Not when we were eating, not when he was socialising. He interrupted a girl mid-sentence to go and intervene with you and JJ. Honestly, he didn’t look like he was playing.”

Yuuri scoffed. “Then what else was it about, do you think? I should have never agreed to teach him. I’ll tell Celestino someone else should do it. I just… I want to hide in bed and not come back out.”

His roommate sighed again. “You… like him, don’t you?”

Yuuri practically reared back. “What? No!”

“Hey, look, I’m just saying… this isn’t like you. You like him more than you’re willing to admit.”

He closed his eyes for a few moments and thought about it – Victor was beautiful, generous, kind… “Oh god, Phichit, I like him. How can I like him, I don’t even know him?” He groaned.

Phichit snickered. “He likes poodles, he’s interested in ice skating, he’s rich, hot and from what I saw tonight, a lot nicer than his reputation suggests. What’s not to like?”

He shook his head. “I don’t… I don’t fall for straight men! Or men like him.”

A hand fell heavy on his shoulder. “You did this time, it seems. For now, why don’t you shower and go to bed? We can work this out tomorrow. Who knows, it might just be a misunderstanding. There might still be wedding bells in your future!”

Yuuri didn’t laugh at Phichit’s joke – he simply couldn’t see the humour in it.


	37. Chapter 37

The next morning couldn’t come fast enough. Not long after sunrise and before Chris had even woken, Victor tried calling Yuuri – no response. He tried a total of thirteen times before giving up and going to the bathroom to make himself presentable.

The practised motions, creams, and lotions that he used every day helped… centre himself. They did not, however, prevent him from worrying himself stupid over it, and so soon after, fully dressed, he was back by his phone – 28 ignored calls, three text messages begging Yuuri to call him. He stared dumbly down at his phone when sleepy fingers plucked it from his hands.

“Victor… are you serious? You’re practically harassing him.”

“I… yeah I know. I’m going to go down there. See him. Talk to him in person.”

“I’m… not sure that’s a good idea. You, uh, kinda overdid it here.”

“I’ll buy him flowers and hope he’ll talk to me.” Chris huffed, still buried under his blanket. They’d shared for the night.

“What if he’s allergic?”

Victor shrugged. “I’ll buy him a car and apologise? People aren’t allergic to cars, right?” His friend groaned and buried his face in his pillow.

“Listen to me, old friend – do NOT buy him a car or anything like that. Go to a supermarket. Buy him a little teddy bear that says I’m sorry and go see him. If he won’t see you, LEAVE. Do NOT do anything stupid like find out who owns his building and buy it off them so you can legally enter.”

He scoffed at Chris's words. “That’s stupid. I would never do something like that.”

Chris glared at him. “You suggested buying him a car. Lovesick Victor is a complete moron. I’m not taking any chances here… now go get your man.”

Nodding decisively, Victor stood – he had a teddy bear to buy and an apology to make.

Half an hour later, he realised that choosing the right bear probably shouldn’t take him as long as it did. None seemed… right. He’d gone to a high-end toy shop, but his eye kept moving towards stuffed dogs rather than the bears he was supposed to look at. Deciding to go with his gut, he picked up a stuffed poodle toy – it looked like Yuuri’s Vicchan, and surely that had to be a good thing.

Paying an outrageous sum for the toy, he drove on to Yuuri’s apartment and rang the bell of the right flat number – luckily, his and Phichit’s names were on the bell or he would have had to try his way through the 28 different flats.

It wasn’t Yuuri that answered the intercom when he rang, but Phichit. “Hello?”

“Uh, hello Phichit. It’s Victor. I’m here to apologise?”

Silence fell, interrupted by bits of static from the intercom. “I see. You realise you really upset him, right?”

Victor sighed. “I… yes. It was a misunderstanding. Can I come up?”

Another long silence fell, and Victor wondered if Phichit had gone to talk to Yuuri. “He doesn’t want to see you. I’m letting you come up but don’t be surprised if he’ll just kick you out.”

Victor breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s fine! Just… thank you.”

He practically sprinted onto the third floor when the door buzzed open and found the right door easily. Phichit was already holding it open, studying him with a sceptical expression. “Misunderstanding, huh?”

“Yes! I never meant to make him feel like I wasn’t serious. That’s… what he thinks, right?”

Victor followed Phichit into a small kitchen. The Thai skater shrugged. “More or less. What are your intentions then?” His first instinct was to bristle and tell the other that it wasn’t any of his business but… he was Yuuri’s friend. He also reminded him of Chris a fair bit.

“I, uh, fell in love with him when I saw him skate?”

Phichit gaped at him for a few moments. “You’re serious?”

“Yes! I was so happy when we started dating and then… well…”

“When you… started dating?”

“Yes. When Yuuri agreed to have dinner with me. I cooked for him, he slept over. He invited me to the party… you know? Dating.”

Phichit said something in a language he wasn’t familiar with. “Right, there is more than just one misunderstanding here. Sit on the couch, I’ll be right back.”

Victor found himself rather shoved towards a cheap-looking couch not far from the kitchen and obediently sat down on it, dog plush clutched on his lap.

He’d wait. He would wait however long it took for Yuuri to forgive him. His fingers clenched harder on the plush. He just hoped it wouldn’t be too long because at the moment, he was… hurting. There was no other word for it.


	38. Chapter 38

Yuuri ignored Phichit’s knocks on his door and wasn’t entirely surprised when his friend came in anyway. He was a LITTLE surprised when said ‘friend’ yanked off his blanket and tossed him a fresh shirt. “Get dressed, you have a guest.”

“A… guest?”

“Yup. Your lover is here to apologise. Waiting on the couch.”

Yuuri groaned at the words. “You let him IN? Phichit, why?”

His friend crossed his arms over his chest. “Because I for one believe he’s genuine. Hear him out at least. If you don’t like what you hear, toss him out. Heck, I’ll help you.”

Yuuri studied Phichit for a few moments – the other skater looked entirely serious. Almost as if in slow motion, he pulled off his pyjamas and got dressed. Running his fingers through his messy hair, he sighed. “I guess I’ll… talk to him?”

“Mhm. I’ll be playing with the hamsters. Call if you need me.” He nodded and left his room, walking towards their shared living area. Victor Nikiforov was indeed sitting on his chair and he looked extremely out of place – especially with a stuffed toy clutched on his lap.

Yuuri cleared his throat awkwardly to draw the other man’s attention.

The expression he saw in those bright blue eyes wasn’t one he’d easily forget – it was pain, regret and worry. He nearly took a step back at the intensity of it. “Good… morning?” He offered when Victor said nothing.

“I… yes. Uh, here this is for you.” Victor held out the plushie and Yuuri took it.

“This is…?”

“I was, uh trying to buy a bear to say I’m sorry? I thought you might like this better.” He nodded, hugging the toy to himself. He DID like dogs better than bears.

“I obviously want to apologise to you for last night. It was a misunderstanding. You thought… I wanted to use you, right?” Yuuri bristled at the other man’s blunt words.

“What else was I supposed to think? You came onto me out of nowhere!”

Victor winced a little at his words. “Ah, well, I actually thought we were… dating?”

Yuuri’s brain absolutely froze at his words. “Dating. You thought we were… dating.”

“Well… yes. I cooked you dinner. We slept in the same bed. You invited me to the party and even held my hand when we were there.”

Blindly, Yuuri traipsed forwards and sat down in the single armchair that sat next to the couch. “Dating.”

Victor nodded again.

“Are you saying you WANTED to date me?” He couldn’t keep the surprise out of his words.

“Of course. You’re… beautiful. When you skate. And even when you don’t. I just… yeah. I wanted to date you. A lot.”

Yuuri gulped. “I… see. I find that hard to believe.”

“It’s the truth!”

Yuuri sighed. “Since when?”

At his question, Victor flushed a little. “Well, you know about that picking up a skill in eight weeks thing…?” He nodded.

“I kind of may have used my sponsors to gather up a quarter of a million specifically to come see you? That was literally the only reason I did it.”

His fingers suddenly weak, the stuffed dog slid from his hands and softly thudded to the ground. “I… for me? But I’m just… me?”

Victor gave him a soft, gentle smile. “I think you’re wonderful.”

The same pit he felt the night before was back in his gut. “Victor… have you ever been with a man before?”

The other shook his head. “Not at all.”

His suspicion confirmed, Yuuri picked up the toy again. “I see. Look, I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m not interested in being your experiment. If you want to try it with a man, there are probably plenty of better-looking ones that would-”

“No!”

Victor interrupted him so suddenly and so loudly that he nearly dropped the toy again. There was a fierce, determined expression in the silver-haired man’s face.

“No!” He repeated. “It’s not like that. I have NO interest in men other than you. I, actually, haven’t been interested in anyone other than you at all. Since I met you, I mean.”

As much as he had cried out suddenly, he seemed to lose his steam as he explained. He was embarrassed, Yuuri realised – embarrassed and out of his depth. Somehow, that made Yuuri feel a little bit more secure in how he himself was feeling.

“I see. And you’re SURE you actually want me?”

The other man nodded eagerly. “I am. Yesterday, when you kissed me… it was wonderful. I was really happy. I couldn’t figure out why you left. Chris had to explain it to me. I swear, it’s not because you’re Asian or anything. You’re just… you.”

Yuuri adjusted his glasses. “That’s… fair enough, but Victor, you’re straight. Have you thought about what it means to be with a guy?”

The other man blushed and averted his eyes. “I… thought about it a lot. About kissing you, holding you. I have been for weeks.”

Blushing himself, Yuuri shook his head. “I don’t mean that, Victor. I mean, have you thought about sex? Us actually having it? The reality of it?” The wide-eyed look on the other one’s face suggested he had not. It stung – given his realisation that he liked Victor like that, it stung a lot, actually.

“I suppose… I haven’t given it much thought.”

Yuuri sighed.

“But! That doesn’t matter, does it? I… want it. I know that much.” Yuuri gave him a weak smile – he didn’t want to have this conversation, not at all.

“You don’t even know what you want. Or if you want it. Sex with another man isn’t like with a woman. Have you thought about who would take who? What would happen?”

Victor whimpered quietly. “I… I’m willing to try whatever you like.”

For a moment, his heart clenched with affection for the other, and he almost wanted to agree, wanted to give in, wanted to explore everything with Victor… but then reality set back in. “It doesn’t work like that. You can’t decide what you want to enjoy if you’re not really into it. Look, Victor, I don’t…”

Before he could finish, Victor held up his hand. “Wait. Why don’t… why don’t we just give it a try? I’m telling you, it would be fine. Really. I want it.”

Yuuri pressed his lips into a thin line. “That may well be, but I don’t. I don’t like casual sex and certainly not what you’re describing. I don’t want to be with someone because of a whim. I’m sorry.”

He wasn’t entirely prepared for the reaction he got to his words – Victor wordlessly tipped his head forwards, his bangs swinging lower to cover more of his face. Yuuri still saw them… tears. The other man was crying because of what he’d said.

“A whim?” Victor half-whispered.

Yuuri’s heart felt like it would break at any moment, shatter into pieces. He reached out automatically, fingers brushing aside his hair to reveal Victor’s face to him. He was surprised when his hand was smacked aside.

“What are you doing?” Victor demanded, anger and hurt in his voice.

He swallowed hard at the realisation that Victor was almost ethereal when he cried – it wasn’t fair, for one person to look so breath-taking like that.

“I just… sorry.”

“Sorry? I’m mad at you. You’ve gone and decided all on your own what I want, and what I can handle. That’s not fair. You don’t know anything about what I want or don’t want.”

Yuuri opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, Victor had leapt to his feet and closed the short distance between them, leaning down until their faces were nearly level. “Listen to me, Yuuri Katsuki. I love you. I didn’t want to tell you like this, but I DO. And you know what, I’m going to PROVE it to you. And then, when you finally believe me, I’m going to have you do every single filthy gay thing you can think of to me, and I’m going to love every second of it, you hear me?”

Victor clearly didn’t want a response to his impassioned little speech, because as soon as he’d finished, and before Yuuri could even comprehend enough of it to blush scarlet, the other man had walked off and loudly slammed their flat door behind himself.

Twisted in his chair, his mouth hanging open, Yuuri stared after him, stared at the door, the very same one he’d seen a thousand times. It felt like he’d never seen it before at all, as he was sitting there and staring at it.

He was trying to process what had just happened, what Victor had just said to him. It… wasn’t working. Swallowing thickly, he brushed his fingers over the toy he was still holding. Victor LOVED him? He was going to prove it to him? How?

How could he even love him? He barely knew him at all, and even then, Yuuri wasn’t anyone special, not compared to Victor himself. His heart thumped painfully.

“Every single filthy gay thing you can think of? Damn!” Phichit snickered as he stretched out on the couch.

“You were listening.”

It wasn’t a question, and he wasn’t really surprised either. “Of course I was. That was… was that just me or was that weirdly hot?”

Yuuri shrugged – he had absolutely no idea. “He said he loves me, Phichit. What am I supposed to do with that? He can’t be serious, right?”

“Why not?”

“Because! I mean…” He finally turned towards his friend.

“Look, the way I see it, the man you like, a spectacularly beautiful one to boot, says he loves you and wants to prove it to you, so you’ll do filthy things to him. There is no downside for you.”

Yuuri closed his eyes. “Except what if he changes his mind? And I get… attached.”

For a long while Phichit said nothing, then he sighed. “For what it’s worth… I don’t think that’ll happen. Call me a romantic but… I think he’s serious. And don’t give me any of that ‘why me’ stuff again.”

He closed his mouth, trying to pretend he hadn’t been about to say something along those lines. “Yuuri, seriously. Give it a chance. Isn’t the possible reward worth the risk?”

Yuuri thought about how Victor’s lips had felt against his, how his body had arched up into him. How good touching him felt in general. Every single filthy gay thing he could think of indeed – it was a long list, and it was growing longer by the minute.


	39. Chapter 39

“I said something stupid, Chris.” Victor moaned into his phone as soon as the other man picked up the call.

“Well, that was to be expected. What did you say?”

“I, uh, told him I loved him.”

“Okay, not the worst thing in the world.”

“I said I’d prove it.”

“I’d even say that’s a good thing.”

“Then… I may have told him I’d make him do every single gay thing he’s ever thought of and that I’d love every minute of it?”

Chris gasped. “Oh no.”

“And then, uh, I got embarrassed and walked off without waiting for him to respond?”

“Oh Victor! Honestly, cheri… why are you like this?”

Victor groaned loudly. “I wish I knew. I just… He was rejecting me because he decided I didn’t want gay sex.”

Standing on the sidewalk as he was, an old lady walking past shot him an odd look and he hurried to his car.

“Well, are you sure you DO?”

He tried not to be offended by his friend’s words. “Of course I’m sure. I want… everything. With him.”

Chris sighed quietly. “Look, Victor, that’s not realistic. You should probably… do some research. Watch some porn. Learn about stuff.”

“I know how gay sex works, Chris, I’m not an idiot.”

The other man snorted. “No doubt. So would you like some recommendations for good material?”

“… Send them to my email.” He grudgingly said even as Chris snickered.

Driving back to his own apartment felt more like a walk of shame than anything he’d ever done. He couldn’t stop thinking about what a fool he’d made of himself again… nor about how much he meant every word he’d said. He’d show him, him and Chris. They didn’t get to tell him what he wanted or didn’t want.

After booking another flight for Chris and dropping nearly three grand on every luxury upgrade available, he saw his friend off in style – with half a bottle of red wine, never mind that it was still before eleven.

It was when he was alone again, with Makkachin on his lap, his laptop out and his finger hovering over the enter key that would take him to the first of the sites that Chris recommended, that doubt started to creep in.

He forced himself to press the key and patiently waited as the gay porn video loaded.

Ten minutes later, Victor knew one thing for certain: He did not enjoy gay porn. He’d seen several short videos, and all of them had been… well, either brutal and uncomfortable-looking, or anatomically questionable. All of the men on the bottom had looked like they didn’t even enjoy it – most of them hadn’t even been hard, and that didn’t seem right to Victor.

He instead turned to the non-video-based links that Chris had sent – instructions, mostly. He blushed a little as he read through them – preparation for anal sex wasn’t entirely new to him, but he’d certainly never contemplated being on the receiving end of it.

He didn’t even know if Yuuri would want that of him – did Yuuri prefer being on the bottom or the top? His heart skipped a beat at the latter option. He’d felt so GOOD when Yuuri had pressed him down… maybe he’d enjoy an extension of that?

Some experimentation was in order. He clicked on another link, that one to a sex shop, and bought several hundred quid’s worth of supplies and overnight shipping before closing all of his tabs and cleaning his browser history – twice, just in case.

A few doubts were creeping in – he was sure he wanted Yuuri, and he would absolutely prove that he loved him, but he worried after his bold announcement that Yuuri might be disappointed in him. He idly picked up his phone before he remembered that Chris was on a plane and couldn’t pick up even if he wanted to.

Sighing, he dropped the phone and reached for something else instead – his ice skates. He didn’t know why but he had the sudden urge to skate, for the cool ice to soothe his worries. He changed clothes quickly and headed for the rink, despite the fact that it was far from his usual practice time and the rink wasn’t empty when he got there.

He waved at Phichit after pulling on his skates and the other man approached the side of the rink happily. “Come to train with the common folk, have you?” The Thai man chuckled.

“Well, I felt like clearing my head… it’s not a problem, is it?” The other man shook his head.

“Not at all, come join me. I was just starting to warm up on the ice, we can do it together.”

He nodded and they started skating lazy circles around the very outside of the rink, ignoring the half dozen or so skaters further in. “You’ve got good balance. How long have you been skating?”

“A week or so. Yuuri had to teach me from the basics.”

Phichit snorted. “Really? Wow! Then our Yuuri should probably consider coaching because you skate like you’ve been doing it your whole life!” Victor grinned, pleased by the praise and, with conscious effort, spun so that he was skating backwards, a step ahead of Phichit.

“I’m doing my best to learn. Skating is… I like it.”

Phichit hummed. “It shows. You don’t skate like you’re just trying to get some.”

Awkwardly stumbling for a second, Victor glared. “It’s… not like that. I mean, it is, but I’m not… it’s not the sex I want.”

The other man shrugged. “That’s not what I heard. Every single filthy-”

“Phichit!” He interrupted before the man could finish his sentence.

“He told you?” Victor wasn’t entirely surprised.

“Didn’t have to. Thin walls, I heard it. It was… pretty impressive, I have to admit.”

He groaned, running a hand through his bangs. “Does he think I’m stupid? He probably does, doesn’t he?”

Phichit snickered. “I never would have expected the famously suave Victor Nikiforov to be like this, honestly. That said, no, he didn’t think it was stupid. He was worried though.”

“About?”

For a moment, Phichit gave him a calculating look, then he too spun around and skated backwards. “Worried you’ll change your mind. This isn’t really my place to tell you, but he likes you. I don’t want to see him get hurt.”

Something like relief fills him as he spins back to skate normally. “I won’t. I wouldn’t.”

“I believe you, actually. Would you like some tips?”

Victor’s eyes narrowed at Phichit. “…Tips?”

“On how to ‘prove’ yourself.” Groaning again, Victor nodded.

“Well then! Yuuri obviously thinks you’re attractive, but he thinks he isn’t.”

Victor opened his mouth to protest, but Phichit cut him off. “I know! Trust me, I’ve been telling him for years. Anyway, direct compliments make him uncomfortable. Be subtle. He gets very nostalgic about his home back in Japan because he hasn’t visited in years. It’s almost his sister’s birthday too so maybe you can take him to a nice Japanese restaurant or somethi-” Phichit broke off, having noticed that Victor had stopped, holding on to the barrier.

“Victor?” Phichit skated back to him, obviously a little concerned. “Uh, Victor? You look like you just had an epiphany. What is it?”

He gave the other man his most blinding smile. “I need to go, I need to make some phone calls. What, uh, what’s Yuuri’s hometown called?”

Phichit blinked. “Hasetsu. Why?”

Victor beamed even more brightly. “Does Hasetsu have a rink?”

“Yeah, it’s where Yuuri learned to skate… what are you getting at?” He wrapped the younger man in an effusive hug before stumbling more than he skated off the ice.

“Don’t tell Yuuri anything!” He yelled over his shoulder as he practically fell out of his skates and back into his normal shoes.

“Tell him what?” Phichit called after him but he ignored him, already racing up the stairs to Celestino’s office.

He’d had the most wonderful idea, but he wouldn’t be able to pull it off alone. He yanked open the door without knocking, interrupting Celestino’s phone call and not caring in the least. “I need Yuuri’s personal information, passport number, and all.” He declared.

“Let me call you back, Ma.” Celestino said before hanging up his call. “Excuse me Victor, you want WHAT?”


	40. Chapter 40

With Phichit at training and himself having the day off, Yuuri had nothing better to do than to lie around his flat and do nothing – in other words, he had plenty of time to think. Needless to say, his mind only allowed him one topic: Victor.

The other man had said he LOVED him. Not just liked, loved. He wasn’t sure if it was true, if Victor wasn’t mistaken about his feelings or something, but even so… the most beautiful man on the planet had told him he loved him and that he’d MAKE Yuuri devour him – well, more or less.

He’d have assumed, as was often the case with straight men that if anything, Victor would expect to be on top, would expect Yuuri to let him take him. He wasn’t opposed to that, of course – who would be? – but that hadn’t been what Victor had asked for. No, he had specifically asked for Yuuri to do things to him.

Yuuri was more than happy with that too – pushing him down on his bed, hearing him make those sweet noises even if he’d done it out of anger had been spectacular. He’d happily do it again. 24/7 probably, given the chance.

He groaned and rolled over on his bed – he wasn’t LIKE that. He’d never had a particularly high sex drive with his exes. Sure, sex was fun, and he liked having it, but he’d definitely never fantasized about spending the rest of his life kissing someone.

Then again, he’d also never been around someone like Victor. The other man was magnetic – he was stunning, kind and interesting in a way Yuuri hadn’t known he liked. In fact, if anything he’d been sure he DIDN’T like it. Hadn’t he thought Victor was arrogant? A playboy? Hadn’t he expected the other man to give up on skating after the first bruise or three?

Except now he knew better. Victor may have been a playboy, but he’d noticed that even tabloid magazines suspected he’d settled down, with no more scandals about him in weeks if not months. He clearly didn’t keep any lovers in his apartment – Yuuri hadn’t seen a single female-owned item there, unless he counted the dozens of creams and lotions in the bathroom and he didn’t doubt they were Victor’s.

He also hadn’t given up on skating, seemed to enjoy it despite his frustration. He was talented too, making progress faster than expected. Really, his first impression of the man had been all wrong. He thought back to the lunch with Chris when he remembered that that hadn’t actually been their first meeting.

Victor had been staring at him before the competition skate, in the private training rink. He had all but forgotten about it, but back then Victor’s eyes had practically burned into him as he had warmed up. Yuuri shivered – had that been when…? No, that didn’t make sense. Victor hadn’t known him.

Then there was their encounter after the lunch, when Victor had come to hug him. He’d said he liked Yuuri – so some time after that, perhaps? He had no idea what he had done to possibly make the other man fall for him, not that he was entirely willing to even accept that that had indeed happened.

His thoughts wandered back to the feel of Victor’s toned body under his own and he shuddered, his hand automatically trailing down his stomach and to the hem of his boxers. He flinched away when his phone rang right by his ear just as he snuck his fingers under the band of his underwear.

He picked up the call without checking who it was first. “Hello?”

“Yuuri!” Victor effusively greeted him, and he bit his cheek in frustration.

He had JUST been about to jerk himself off thinking about the man and he called? That had to be some form of cosmic irony, he was sure of it. “Hello Victor. How, uh, are you?” He asked dumbly – he’d seen the man maybe two hours earlier. He was an idiot, surely Victor realised that?

“I’m great! Listen, Yuuri, do you have any plans over the next three weeks?”

Three weeks? “Uh, no? Other than training you? I think, uhm, Phichit has a competition I was going to go to but I’m not sure about the date. Uh… why?”

Victor hummed thoughtfully. “I see. That’s fine then. I actually spoke to Phichit. He said it was your sister’s birthday soon?”

A stab of guilt poked through him. He hadn’t spoken to Mari in some time, and her birthday was just a week away.

“Yeah. 7th of March, why?”

“Are you going to see her in Japan? Or will she come here?”

Yuuri winced. “Erm, neither. She works at my parents’ inn and I can’t just… we Skype. Why?”

For a moment, Victor said nothing, then he chuckled softly. “I’m curious about your family, Yuuuri! I want to learn more about you.”

He grimaced. “Well, uh, I have a sister, my parents, and my dog Vicchan. That’s it, as far as family goes, really.”

“I see. Do you see them often?”

“We, uh, just Skype? They’re all very busy.”

Yuuri felt awkward, and it must have bled into his words because after a few seconds, Victor hummed his agreement and excused himself, ending the call. Yuuri groaned as he buried himself under his blanket.

That could have gone… better.


	41. Chapter 41

Victor knew he wasn’t the subtlest of people. Of course he knew that. People told him all the time, either in mild amusement or outright annoyance. In the case of Chris, often both. It hadn’t bothered him before – he didn’t need to be subtle.

On the phone with Yuuri, however, his heart felt like it might crawl up into his throat at any moment. He’d tried to sound casual, but it wasn’t very casual to ask about someone’s plans three weeks ahead, was it? Still, the questions that had given Yuuri’s voice an odd twinge had been the ones about his family.

Did he suspect what Victor was planning? Staring at the airline website, he decided it didn’t really matter. With the help of Celestino, he’d managed to pick and decide on dates that worked for their surprise trip – two and a half weeks in Japan. All he had to do now was book the tickets.

The price scared him very little – Detroit to Kyushu, two first class tickets would cost him a few thousand dollars, hardly a big deal. No, it was the risk he was taking that bothered him – what if Yuuri didn’t like it? What if he thought it was too much?

Victor had been called ‘too much’ as often as he’d been told he wasn’t subtle, though usually people didn’t sound fond when they said THAT. Would Yuuri dislike it? At the very least, if he didn’t want Victor with him, he could go alone and enjoy time with his family – Victor wouldn’t mind that.

Okay, he would mind it, but he’d be okay so long as Yuuri had a good time. Fingers trembling a little, he pressed the ‘book’ button. A few moments later, a new email arrived, confirming his order and providing instructions on how to check in. He had all the info he needed for it – Celestino had handed it over – and so he quickly took care of that too.

All he had left to do was tell Yuuri… and quickly, because their flight was in less than 48 hours.

He gulped – he really was too much, wasn’t he?

Victor quickly printed off a copy of both boarding passes when they were ready and neatly folded them before putting them into his pocket. The easy part was done – now he had to present his gift to Yuuri. He picked up his phone, ignoring the trembling still in his fingertips and opened their message conversation.

‘Let me take you to dinner today? There’s a Japanese restaurant I’d like to go to.’ He texted. Yuuri replied almost immediately.

‘When&where?’

He smiled down at his phone. ‘6pm, I’ll pick you up?’

Yuuri replied with a thumbs-up smiley and Victor grinned for a moment before he realised, he’d condemned himself to several hours of sitting around and waiting. He had already chosen the restaurant – the best Japanese restaurant in Detroit, and as such, there wasn’t anything to do other than fret about what Yuuri would say.

Would he think Victor crossed a line? Would he want him to come along? Did he even want Victor to meet his family? Would he want to go at all? For all he knew, Yuuri didn’t go see his family for a reason… he groaned and buried his face in Makkachin’s fur. His flight allowed her to come along too – another two thousand dollars extra.

Scratching her ears, he sighed – waiting was his only choice. “I hope he’ll be happy, Makka…” He mumbled. The dog’s only response was a low whine. To him, it sounded sympathetic, but then she HAD liked Yuuri when she had been introduced to him. He smiled to himself – his dog had excellent taste.

Victor would have been happy to spend the next few hours laying down with his dog had it not been for another notification on his phone – a call. He checked the screen – Chris. “Hey there.”

“Hey! Just at my layover in London.”

“Quick flight, wasn’t it?” He checked the clock – barely seven hours.

“Tell me about it. We had tailwind the entire time. How’s it going at your end?”

“I bought him plane tickets.”

Chris fell silent for a moment. “Victor no. Please tell me they’re not to Japan or something equally stupid?”

He whistled. “Two first-class tickets in time for his sister’s birthday.”

“Oh Victor! What will you do if he doesn’t want to go?”

“Doesn’t matter. I don’t even mind if he goes alone or something. I just… I said I’d prove I love him.”

Chris hummed. “That’s nice and all but… as far as I know Yuuri, I feel like spending money on him won’t impress him. You should try something thoughtful.”

“You don’t think going to see his family is thoughtful? He’ll get to be there for her birthday!”

“That’s true I suppose. I just don’t think that’s quite what he’s looking for.”

“Well, his roommate suggested I take him to a Japanese restaurant.”

“That sounds a lot more reasonable.”

Victor scoffed at Chris’ tone. “Well, I am taking him to one in an hour and a half. That’s where I’ll tell him.”

“I see. Cheri, you know this could all backfire, right?”

“I do, I know. I’ll try to ask about whether he wants to see his family first. I won’t just show him the tickets.” The ‘even I’m not that stupid’ hung unsaid between them.

“Mhm, fair enough I suppose. What’s your plan for when you’re in Japan?”

“Ah, his town has an ice rink, so he can keep training, and his family has an inn, so we have a place to stay.”

“That’s… not much of a plan.”

“I don’t even know if he’ll accept yet.” Victor whined.

“True, true. I hope he’ll accept for your sake.”

Victor sighed deeply, rolling onto his back. “Me too. This feels like… I don’t know, like it’s my only chance? I don’t want to mess it up.”

Chris chuckled. “I can tell. Honestly, you’ve changed a lot since you fell for him.”

“Bad?” He asked, a little concerned. He didn’t think he was THAT different.

“No, actually. Good, very good. It’s not always easy being your friend but Yuuri’s made you more… caring, I suppose.” He winced at the implication that he didn’t care before, even though he knew it wasn’t entirely untrue.

“I want this to work so badly, Chris.”

“I know you do, cheri. I’m going to be in the air again soon… text me when you know more, and I’ll call you back when I can?”

“Sure.”

“Good luck, and PLEASE don’t buy him anything else.”

“Not even flowers?”

“Victor.”

“Right, right. I’ll talk to you soon.” He hung up and smiled at his phone – talking to Chris always made him feel better.

His phone beeped again almost as soon as he locked the screen – a text. From Yuuri. His heart skipped a beat. ‘What restaurant are we going to?’ He texted back the name of it. ‘Best in Detroit, apparently.’ He added, feeling the need to explain himself.

The reply came a few minutes later. ‘It’s not. Meet me at this address in 45?’ The text was followed by another with a Google maps location – one that showed a small Japanese restaurant with barely any reviews at all. Victor was intrigued.

‘See you there!!!’ He texted back and hopped off the bed – 45 minutes was just enough to get ready and drive to the place. It was within walking distance from Yuuri’s flat – probably why he wanted to meet there.

Dressed in a shirt he knew brought out his eyes and elegant slacks, he kissed Makka good-bye and practically ran to his car, his heart racing the entire time. He barely remembered the drive when he pulled into the parking lot behind the restaurant – it only held five cars, and his was the fourth.

Yuuri was already waiting, dressed in a fluffy jacket and what appeared to be jeans, adorable as always. He shyly waved hello at Victor as he approached. “Thanks for meeting me here!”

“Of course! So this restaurant is good, you say?”

Yuuri chuckled. “Best Japanese food I’ve tried outside of my parent’s inn. I hope you’ll like it. Though… it’s maybe not as fancy as you’re used to?”

He waved off the concern. “If you like it, I’m sure I will too. Lead the way!” Yuuri nodded and walked to the unassuming front door. Inside, it was a different story – the entrance hall and the two dining areas he could see were quite opulent and very pretty.

Out of sheer force of habit, he snapped a selfie of himself with the brown, green, and white décor of it. He tagged and uploaded it while Yuuri spoke to a waitress. She was cute – short, sweet, the type Victor may have flirted with once upon a time. She led them both past the main dining areas and to a secluded room – it was tiny and held only a few seating cushions and a low table.

Yuuri gave him a small nod as he pushed off his shoes and opened his jacket. Victor hesitated in the door. “Uh, what’s wrong? You need to take off your shoes.” Yuuri was already half-kneeling down on a cushion.

He felt his face colour a little but saw no way around it – he awkwardly toed off his shoes. “I, uh, didn’t expect I’d have to take off my shoes.”

“Okay?” Yuuri looked adorably confused and Victor cleared his throat.

“I wore my lucky socks?” Yuuri’s eyes travelling over his body and to his socks felt like a physical weight.

Yuuri’s lips twitched in a suppressed smile as he sat down properly, and Victor joined him on the opposite side of the table. “Those are… cartoon poodles?” Indeed they were – dozens of brown cartoon poodles on lime green socks. He nodded meekly.

“And they’re… lucky?”

“I’ve had them for years. I usually wear them for public appearances and such.”

Yuuri’s smile grew a little less restrained. “They’re very cute I think.”

Victor groaned. “I wasn’t going for cute, you know.” Yuuri blushed a little, making him feel a little less out of his depth.

“I still like them. What made you decide on Japanese food today?”

He grinned. “I’ll tell you that in a bit?”

“Sure. What do you want to eat?”

Victor shrugged. “Order for me? You know what’s good here.” Yuuri nodded and, when a few moments later, the small waitress returned, he spoke to her in quick Japanese.

Her replies didn’t sound nearly as melodious, as confident as Yuuri’s words had… but then he was biased.

“Hm?” The other man asked, and Victor realised he’d been staring a little.

“I, your voice… it sounds nice when you speak Japanese, that’s all.”

Yuuri blushed and turned his eyes to his hands, fidgeting on the low table. “You’ll have to say something in Russian for me sometime.”

“Anything you’d like. What do you want me to say?”

Yuuri shook his head. “N-Not now! You don’t have to.”

Victor smiled. “Whenever you’d like. Just ask. So, what am I eating?”

“It’s a surprise!” Yuuri declared and Victor chuckled.

“That’s fair enough. I hope me suggesting Japanese was okay?” The waitress reappeared again, pouring them both a glass of water and what appeared to be sake each.

He reached for his water, just as Yuuri shrugged. “It’s fine. I happen to like Japanese food, I’m just picky about what kind. There’s, you know, proper Japanese stuff and the adapted versions for foreigners. Have you ever been to Japan?”

Victor nodded as he sipped his water. “Yes, I have. Twice. Both times to Tokyo.”

Yuuri chuckled. “Did you like it?”

He shrugged – he had, but he’d been relatively drunk both times. “Phichit told me your home-town is called Hasetsu? I looked it up, it’s quite small, isn’t it?”

Yuuri nodded. “It used to have lots of hot springs before, but they slowly closed down. My family runs the last one now.”

He whistled – that was surely no small feat. “Do you miss it?”

Yuuri sighed. “I do, yeah. I feel bad for not visiting more. I haven’t been back in… nearly five years, actually.”

He nodded. “It’s been longer since I’ve been to Russia, but I don’t have family I’m close to there.”

The other man paused for a moment. “Me and my family… we used to be very close. They always supported my skating and at first, I went home lots… then I had a season that wasn’t so great, and I couldn’t make myself go. I send them money, sometimes, to make it easier. At this point, it feels awkward.”

Victor listened intently – it sounded like Yuuri WANTED to go back, like maybe Victor hadn’t made the wrong choice with the tickets burning a hole in his pocket.

“Err, sorry.”

He tilted his head in confusion. “Why are you apologising, Yuuri?”

“Ah, I’ve just been talking about myself selfishly...”

He shook his head. “I like it. I want to learn more about you. About your family, your home-town.”

Yuuri blushed again, a deeper red now. Victor loved every single shade he’d seen the man blush, and indeed, there were plenty. “I’m not all that interesting.” Yuuri shrugged.

“I disagree. I really want to get to know you better.” To his relief, Yuuri only gave a small nod. The silence between them was surprisingly not at all awkward as they waited for their food. Well, it felt a little awkward to him, but mostly because he was suppressing the physical urge to give the other man the tickets in his pocket.

He knew he had to wait for the right moment, but he was getting more and more impatient – it seemed like Yuuri could tell too, for the skater was sneaking odd glances at him from time to time. The arrival of their food – over a dozen small, assorted dishes – gave him something to distract himself with.

Yuuri happily explained it all – duck, seaweed, fish… a little bit of everything. Victor happily took Yuuri’s recommendations on what he’d like and wouldn’t like – he was mostly right. “You’re pretty good at guessing what I’ll like.” He observed and Yuuri grinned.

“I’m pretty used to introducing people to genuine Japanese food at this point. You should see Phichit in Thai restaurants. He won’t even let people LOOK at menus.”

Victor laughed. “Maybe we should go with him to one? I’d love to see that.”

Yuuri nodded slowly. “You… don’t mind? Doing something with my friends?”

He frowned lightly. “Of course not. Phichit is pretty nice. Why, uh, would I mind?”

Yuuri cleared his throat. “Oh, it’s nothing. It’s fine.” Victor studied him for a few more moments before he decided to let it go – whatever it was, Yuuri would hopefully tell him soon enough.

He sipped some of the sake he’d been served, enjoying the sweet burn of it down his throat.

“Thanks.” Yuuri offered after a few moments of silence.

“For what?”

“Ah… for not pushing?”

Victor smiled weakly. “Of course. I know I can be too pushy. I don’t want to bother you though.”

The other man nodded. “I get that. Thanks for meeting me where I am, I suppose. More duck?”

He nodded eagerly and waited for Yuuri to push a few more pieces onto his plate. The duck was his favourite by far, as Yuuri had apparently noticed. They finished the rest of the food in companionable silence and Victor waited for the waitress to clear the table before reaching for his pocket.

“Yuuri… Uhm, do you remember what I said to you? This morning I mean.” In a heartbeat, the Japanese man blushed a deep scarlet colour that possibly exceeded what he’d thought capable on a human being.

“I, uh, remember. What about it? Did you change your mind?”

“NO!” Victor cried out and slammed one hand on the table, shocked by the suggestion. Yuuri leaned back at the suddenness of his outburst and Victor groaned quietly – things were NOT going how he’d planned them.

“Sorry. I mean… no, I didn’t change my mind. I said, uh, that I was going to prove my feelings.”

Yuuri nodded, face a little weary, but he settled back down, and Victor could work with that. “Well, uh, I got you something. A gift. You can refuse if you want, but I thought… I thought you might like this anyway.” His fingers were already curled around the tickets in his pocket as he spoke.

The other man looked… sceptical, to say the least. “What, uh, what is it?” The moment had come – Victor realised he was afraid, more so than he could remember being before. Hands shaking a little, he placed the tickets face-down on the table and hid what they were under his hand.

When Yuuri’s only reaction to his movement was a curious glance, he took a deep breath and slid the tickets across the table to the other man. Pulling his hand away and letting Yuuri take the printed tickets was… difficult.

Victor could feel his palms sweating as small hands picked up and flipped them over, studying them. Yuuri’s face was expressionless as he scanned the tickets. He had hoped for… something, some kind of reaction that would tell him if he’d screwed up or done well.

“These are…?”

Victor gulped. “Tickets. To Japan. To see your family. If you want.”

He watched Yuuri’s fingers tighten on the paper. “There are two?”

“I… uh, I wanted to come with you? If you don’t want that, I don’t mind. I’m happy for you to go on your own. If that’s what you want.”

The paper slipped from Yuuri’s grasp and Victor watched it fall to the table. “This… is…” Too much. Victor could almost hear the words, could feel his heart breaking just a little. Too much, he was always too much.

Closing his eyes, he balled his hands into fists and hid them on his lap, unwilling to look at Yuuri. “This is… Victor…” The slightly choked tone of Yuuri’s words made him open his eyes and look back up.

Oh no. Yuuri was crying. Victor hated it when people cried.


	42. Chapter 42

He couldn’t help the tears that spilled down his cheeks as he studied the tickets in his fingers. He didn’t know how Victor had… known, how he’d guessed how badly Yuuri wanted to visit, and how much he was struggling with his inability to make himself go. How much the guilt bothered him, and the shame of not having visited sooner.

The tickets fell from his fingers, suddenly weak. Victor hadn’t even just bought him one ticket, he’d gotten two – he wanted to go WITH Yuuri. A three-week journey to Japan wasn’t exactly an afternoon at the park, it was a lot of time the other man was willing to spend with him.

As far as gestures went… He sobbed, his hand automatically covering his face in an attempt to hide it, much as he knew there was no point. Victor’s baby blue eyes were trained on him and he looked… horrified. Just wonderful.

Yuuri reached for a napkin to wipe his face quickly, well-aware of the burning gaze on him. “I’m… sorry? I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

Victor was visibly panicking, and for some reason that actually cheered him up a little.

“It’s… it’s fine. I just… I was overwhelmed.”

Victor sighed. “I don’t… know what to do when people cry. Should I just kiss you or something?”

“What? No!” Yuuri cried in shock. “I just… look, this means a lot to me. I was surprised, and happy, and just…”

Victor took a deep breath, tension visibly leaving his body. “You’re not… angry?”

“No, I’m not. I’m… really happy. This means a lot to me.”

“Oh, that’s good. I mean… that’s good. Yes. Do you… know if you want me to come with you? I don’t have to.”

Yuuri realised that his tears had thankfully stilled and he quickly wiped his cheeks dry. “N-No! I’d like it. If you came with me. Uhm… stay by my side, Victor?”

He could feel himself blushing at his own words, though not as much as Victor did – the man flushed a brilliant pink, eyes open wide and his mouth forming the most adorable ‘o’ shape. He looked gorgeous like that – there wasn’t a lot Yuuri wouldn’t do to keep that pink colour on his cheeks, he realised, even as he felt his own blush deepen.

Reaching for his sake, he quickly swallowed a big mouthful of it to distract himself – the burn felt almost soothing. “Victor?” He asked, when the Russian still said nothing after a few more moments.

Victor blinked. “I, yes. Of course I will. As long as you’ll have me.”

They shared a small, intimate smile before Yuuri picked the tickets up again. “So… we’re going to Japan? I’ll have to tell Phichit. And Celestino. What are you going to do with Makkachin?”

Victor chuckled. “Celestino knows, Makkachin is coming with us and Phichit will hopefully survive without you for a few weeks!”

Yuuri chuckled. “I’d think so. Worst case, I’ll come home to more hamsters.”

“You don’t like hamsters?”

“Oh, I like them fine, but he already has five of them. In a no-pet flat.”

“Uh, that’s… a lot?”

He nodded. “Well, he looks after them well, so I don’t mind.” He felt a little stupid for bringing up the hamsters at all – he was too overwhelmed to think of something better to say though.

Eventually, the waitress’s return broke him from his racing thoughts. She was a nice girl, having come to Detroit for college from Kyoto. He ate at the restaurant often enough to know quite a bit about her. She’d mentioned she was Victor’s fan earlier… He smiled at her softly.

“Could we get dessert please? Something sweet.” He asked in Japanese and the girl nodded happily.

Victor looked curious but said nothing. “Ah, Victor?”

“Hm?”

“The waitress said earlier she’s your fan… she’s too shy to ask for a photo with you though. Do you think you could…?” He felt a little awkward asking his own date for something like that, but the girl had been so hopeful, he’d have felt worse not asking. Victor gave him a small smile.

“Of course. Do you get asked for autographs a lot?”

Yuuri shook his head. “Uh, it happens a bit in Japan, but figure skating isn’t a big enough deal to cause that, you know?”

Victor nodded. “Hm, are there posters of you? Maybe I could get you to sign one.” Yuuri groaned – there were, in fact, posters of him. Several, actually.

“No posters, sorry. If you want an autograph though, I’m sure we can arrange something?” He teased the other man. Only when Victor gave him the most delighted look did it occur to him that he’d already had two glasses of sake and that it was making him a tad bolder than he was used to. Ah well. He discreetly pushed away the glass and reached for the water instead.

“So bold, Yuuri!” He sipped his water to avoid having to respond. His mind wandered back to their trip.

“I’ll have to pack, won’t I?” If Victor was surprised by the change in topic, he didn’t show it.

“You will. Though, if there’s something you need, we can always buy it there. So don’t worry too much.”

He sighed. “That’s true I suppose. I, uhm, I’m the type that always starts packing a week in advance? Now we’re going in just a day…” Victor grinned. “I never pack. I usually just buy stuff on the way!” Yuuri wasn’t surprised at all. “I should let my family know I’m coming too. Will you… stay at my family’s inn?”

Victor grinned. “If that’s where you’re staying, then yes! Should I reserve a room?”

He shook his head. “No need, there’s always space. I don’t want you to spend more money. These tickets must have cost you a fortune.”

The other man simply shrugged. “Well worth it. I was sort of trying for a big gesture here. I’m not very good at them, I don’t think – I’ve never made one before.”

‘I’ve never been in love before.’ is what Yuuri thinks he means, but neither of them says it. “Ne, Victor?”

“Mhm?”

“About… about proving how you feel… you don’t have to do that. I mean, not like this. I was probably a little bit dismissive of you before and I shouldn’t have been.”

Victor’s smile never faltered. “Yes, you were, and no you shouldn’t have been, but that’s fine – I actually don’t mind this. These feelings… they’re new. Exciting even. Now… now I don’t have to hide them anymore either. Getting to do things for you, with you… I like it. Don’t feel bad for that, please?”

Yuuri gulped at the unexpected insight into Victor’s mind. “I don’t… feel bad. I’m worried what’ll happen if you realise that I’m not that special. Or that you prefer women after all – not that there’s anything wrong with that of course.”

Victor’s expression turned serious. “Yuuuuuri… you ARE special. In many, many ways. As for the other matter… I’ll prove that to you too, if you want me to.”

Quite suddenly, Victor licked his lips – Yuuri couldn’t stop his eyes from following the motion eagerly. He suppressed a groan and decided to pretend Victor wasn’t amused at having caught him looking. “That’s… not really something you should have to prove, to me or anyone.” He reproached gently.

The other man shrugged. “I’ll do it anyway, for you. Tell me Yuuri… what do you like?” The small room they were in suddenly felt several degrees warmer, the ice blue eyes on him burning. Yuuri shifted on his pillow, a little uncomfortable.

“What, uh, what?”

Victor pouted – he knew Yuuri had understood him well enough. “What do you like, Yuuri? What would you… want?” The fact that Victor faltered a little made his heart skip a beat. He realised, quite suddenly that he needed to leave – the sake, Victor’s stare, and his own feelings were getting to be too much.

He ran a hand through his hair as he stood, stepping around the table and to Victor’s side – he had to step past him to leave the room. He bent down next to the man, half-whispering to him. “Don’t you know? Every single filthy gay thing I can think of.”

By the time he heard Victor curse – he assumed it was cursing, as it was in rather forceful Russian – he was halfway out of the room and down the hall, headed to the bathroom.


	43. Chapter 43

Yuuri was going to kill him. He just knew it.

He’d expected things to be… easier, now that Yuuri knew about his feelings. He knew perfectly well that Yuuri was reserved if not shy. He knew Yuuri thought he wasn’t serious or that he’d change his mind. He was perfectly willing to prove him wrong of course, but that was easier said than done when he threw him for a loop every few steps.

Sitting alone in the tiny room with an uncomfortable hard-on, he groaned to himself – he knew it was his own fault, but Victor wasn’t a blushing virgin – how could one man’s words put him off-kilter like that?

Of course he knew the answer – rules didn’t apply to Yuuri. Victor who was always the one making others dance to his music could only helplessly stumble along, caught up in the melody of Yuuri… and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t love every minute of it.

Smiling at the tickets across the table, he leaned on the hard wood. Yuuri… Yuuri Katsuki…

A faint blush crept onto his cheeks as he remembered what he’d bought earlier – it would all arrive before they left on their trip, he knew. It had been pure bravado mixed with genuine curiosity when he’d asked – he was desperate to know more about what Yuuri liked, what he would expect from him… Victor shivered. His fantasies about them weren’t very specific, or very explicit, but they still made him gasp as he indulged them for a moment, as he imagined leaning over the table, kissing Yuuri…

When a hand settled on his shoulder, he was entirely unprepared for it. “Victor?” Yuuri asked, obviously concerned.

“I’m fine. Just… lost in thought.” Yuuri seemed sceptical but nodded as he sat back down in his seat. Victor… squirmed. The other man’s proximity in their secluded room did nothing to distract him from his thoughts.

“Dessert should be here soon.”

Dessert. Victor gulped. “Oh? What did you order?”

Yuuri shrugged. “Asked for something sweet. It’s the chef’s wife’s speciality.”

Sweet things. Oh god. “I see. I’m sure it’ll be good?”

Yuuri gave him another curious look. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look a bit out of it. Would you prefer to go home?” He shivered. Was Yuuri messing with him on purpose? He didn’t look like it – his eyes were filled with genuine concern.

“I’m fine. It’s just been a long day, I suppose.”

The Japanese man smiled. “Well, that’s true. Here, have a drink. Maybe it’ll help?” Victor wasn’t sure if Yuuri realised he’d handed him his own sake glass, but he downed its contents anyway. It did not make him feel better in the least.

“Thanks. So tell me, what can I expect in Hasetsu?” Yuuri brightened immediately as he started talking about his home-town. He did his best to listen, to smile and laugh where appropriate, all the while waiting for his heartbeat to slow and his hard-on to fade. He had more luck with the second than the first.

Still, when a few minutes later the waitress returned with almost as many dessert plates as there had been dinner dishes, he was recovered enough that he happily offered to take a photo with her. He hardly had to fake the smile either – Yuuri looked so pleased that he’d offered!

One selfie with the blushing waitress later, they were alone again, and Yuuri was pushing a few different dishes at him. They were… good. Really. He especially liked the green tea flavoured ones, though he didn’t miss how little Yuuri actually tried.

“You don’t like these?”

The other man laughed awkwardly. “No, it’s not that. I gain weight easily? I can’t indulge too much. Even if it’s off-season.”

Victor nodded. “I see. Hm, I guess I should be glad I don’t have to follow an athlete’s diet… coach.” He winked at the other man, pleased when instead of a stutter, he got a chuckle. It seemed like Yuuri was getting more comfortable around him and he loved it.

“Who knows, if you don’t make enough progress, I might have to resort to that. Cross-training too… do you enjoy running?”

He grimaced. “Not if I can help it. Do you?”

Yuuri shrugged. “I don’t enjoy it, but I run five miles before breakfast normally. Ten in season. To keep my stamina up. I do ballet too.” Victor blinked in surprise.

“Wow! All I really do is, uh, work out on occasion? I’m naturally lean, thankfully. Plus, in photos, I can always hold my breath.”

Yuuri smiled softly. “I suppose you can. I never asked much about your job. Is it… fun?”

He shrugged casually. “Ah, I suppose so. It used to be a lot more exciting. These days I suppose it’s just… well, just a job.”

Yuuri seemed to sense that there was more to it, that he wasn’t telling the whole truth, but he thankfully said nothing. Victor focused on trying his way through the rest of the dessert dishes while Yuuri slowly ate the few morsels he’d chosen for himself. When they were finished, Victor was actually disappointed – he didn’t want to go home just yet.

“Yuuri?”

“Hm?”

He put on his most winning smile. “Need any help packing tonight?” A slow blink was the only answer he got for a few moments… then that expression gave way to an almost indulgent smile.

“Why not?”

Victor grinned.

Suddenly leaving seemed… fine. He wanted to, even. He automatically drew his wallet and reached for one of his credit cards when Yuuri stopped him.

“It’s okay, I’ll get this.”

“Uh, you don’t have to?” He’d never been on a date where the other party had offered to pay – it didn’t bother him either.

“Victor! You just spent god knows how much on tickets to JAPAN for me… let me treat you to dinner.” Obediently, he put his wallet away and nodded as Yuuri stood and left the room, presumably to pay. An unfamiliar warm feeling spread through him – one that had nothing to do with the sake. He didn’t know why but Yuuri acting chivalrous towards him felt… good.

He sighed softly as he sipped more of his sake.


	44. Chapter 44

Dinner with Victor had been completely outside of anything he could have ever imagined – he was beginning to suspect that where the other man was concerned, that was going to be the norm, and he absolutely loved it. The plane tickets were safely tucked into his back pocket now, while he paid for dinner.

It was only a small gesture of course, and hardly a way to make up for Victor’s gift, but he had to settle for what he could manage for the time being. As usual, he thanked the waitress for the service and the excellent food.

By the time he returned to their private dining room, Victor was already waiting outside, dog-socks covered once again by expensive loafers. He couldn’t suppress a smile as he thought of the unexpected discovery of what were apparently his lucky socks.

The man was full of surprises. They walked outside in silence, heading for Yuuri’s apartment on foot in unspoken agreement. He was glad that Victor hadn’t suggested driving – he’d drunk more than a bit of sake after all, and so had Yuuri.

It was only a ten-minute walk, more than comfortable in the cool but not quite cold air.

Yuuri snuck glances at his companion, once again struck by how beautiful he was. It was hard to believe that someone like Victor wanted him, and wanted him badly enough to act, well, like he had. He unconsciously touched the tickets in his pocket.

Whatever Victor was after – and Yuuri was beginning to consider that he was serious after all – it clearly wasn’t curiosity sex with a man. Glancing over at Victor in the half-light of the street lanterns, he rather thought that even if it was, he might have done it.

It went against everything he personally wanted but he doubted he could actually turn him down if he asked. Entranced by the way Victor swept his bangs from his face, Yuuri sighed. There probably weren’t very many people that denied Victor the things he wanted.

His only hope was that the other wouldn’t get bored of him too quickly – it had been an issue before. Of the few relationships he’d been in, more than one had ended because he’d been declared too boring, too dedicated to skating, too serious. No doubt Victor, flashy as he was, would eventually think the same… he’d have to enjoy the time he had until then and hope to god his heart wouldn’t break too badly in the end.

He knew better than to hope for not at all. Victor glanced over with a small smile and his heart skipped a beat – indeed, it was too late to hope for no heartbreak here. Yuuri returned the smile and started digging for his keys.

They were almost at his building when it occurred to him to text Phichit about their unexpected guest. He decided to save his news about Japan for a few moments – he rather wanted to tell him in person than over text.

Fifteen minutes and one VERY surprised Phichit later, Yuuri was alone in his room, changing into more comfortable clothes while Victor waited in the living room. He could hear them both chattering about something or other – he was abruptly reminded of the fact that Victor hadn’t even blinked at the suggestion of doing something with Phichit – more than one of his exes had outright refused to do any such thing, and Victor… Victor wanted to. Yuuri sighed into the shirt he’d been clutching for the past few minutes. Clearly, any efforts not to get attached to Victor were doomed to fail and fail hard.

He slipped on the shirt and tugged it down as he opened his door to rejoin the other two men.


	45. Chapter 45

Yuuri in sweatpants and a too-big shirt was just as sexy as Yuuri in anything else, he discovered when the man came back, stomach still exposed. The sight sent a sliver of heat through him. “Yuuri, are you going to get the suitcase from the basement?” Phichit asked, ripping him from his train of thought. Just in time too.

“Ah, yeah, I’ll have to, won’t I? Sorry Victor, I’ll be right back.” He nodded as he watched Yuuri leave.

“Basement?” He asked Phichit.

“Ah yes. Small bit of storage we’ve got for things we don’t need so often. Not a lot of space in the flat.”

He nodded.

“So tell me, how did you go from taking him to a Japanese restaurant to flying him to Japan?” Victor grinned.

“To be fair, we had dinner at a Japanese place too.”

Phichit snorted. “I see.”

“I was going for a grand gesture.”

"And you don’t think this was too much?”

His lips twisted into a pout almost automatically – who cared if Phichit thought it was too much? Yuuri liked it, that was what was important. “Hey, I didn’t mean to be rude. It’s probably a good thing. Yuuri needs too much sometimes.”

“Oh?”

“Mhm. I’ve been around for a few of his relationships. He’s not honest about what he wants, and he’s been dumped more often than not.”

Victor gaped. “Who would dump him and why?”

Phichit smiled happily. “The fact that you have to ask is so cute. It’s not really my business to tell you but let’s just say Yuuri had terrible taste in men.”

“Had?” He asked, flattered by the implication.

“Hm, might still do. Are you two officially a thing now?”

He frowned. “Ah, no? I haven’t… we haven’t… he still thinks I’m going to change my mind.”

Phichit nodded. “Fair enough. A friendly tip – don’t push him again too soon. He’s already out of his comfort zone and while he likes you, pushing too far won’t help you.”

Victor nodded, eager for the advice – Phichit knew Yuuri well, after all. “I can’t believe you just bought him those plane tickets though. What were they, two, three thousand?”

“Seven.” He replied absent-mindedly, thoughts focused on Yuuri’s ex-lovers. He felt irrationally jealous of the name and faceless people Yuuri may have been with before.

“Pardon?” He turned his attention back to Phichit when the other man practically squeaked.

“What?”

“SEVEN thousand dollars?”

“Give or take, why? Two first-class round trips, luggage, and transport for Makkachin.”

“First class?” Phichit whistled. “You know… I don’t think Yuuri has ever flown first class. Does he, uh, know they’re first class tickets?”

Victor wanted to say yes before he realised, he hadn’t actually mentioned it. “No?”

To his surprise, Phichit grasped his arm. “Don’t tell him. Let him be surprised or he’ll be terrified the whole time.” The Thai skater released him just as the door opened and Yuuri came back in, two suitcases in tow.

“I borrowed yours too, Phichit. That okay?”

“Of course! Now then, I’m going to go tend to the hamsters, you two kids have fun but keep in mind the walls are thin, yeah?” Yuuri hissed something at Phichit that Victor didn’t quite catch because he was too busy imagining them having loud fun, his brain short-circuiting in a way that was starting to feel oddly familiar.

When Yuuri asked him to follow him to his room, he nearly tripped over his own feet in his haste to follow the shorter man.

“Ah, why don’t you sit on the bed for now? The room isn’t big enough for much else I’m afraid.”

The bed. Yuuri’s bed. Victor gulped as he crawled to the headboard and settled against it, pulling Yuuri’s pillow onto his lap and resisting the urge to smell it. That would be creepy, he knew. “Can I help at all?” He offered, proud that his voice sounded steady.

“No, that’s fine.” Yuuri set the first of the two suitcases down on the bed and flipped it open before he began packing – the first thing that went in was a bag Victor knew held his skates. Next were several shirts and pairs of trousers, followed by two pairs of shoes.

Victor knew that Yuuri was sneaking glances at him when he turned back to the suitcase, just like he had noticed when the man had done the same thing during their walk to the flat. He didn’t know why exactly but Yuuri’s chocolate gaze felt like a caress on his skin – he could always tell.

Yuuri’s phone buzzed. “Victor?”

“Mhm?”

“Why is Chris asking me if I’ve dumped you yet?”

He winced. “Ah, I told him about the tickets? Asked him for advice. He said it was too much. So did Phichit actually.” Victor was relatively certain he would strangle Chris next time he saw him.

The younger man gave him a searching look. “It’s… well, it’s probably too much. To be honest, I can’t believe you’d waste that much money on me. But… I’m really happy. Thank you. Don’t let either of them tell you otherwise.”

He nodded, a little dumbfounded by the sudden sincerity and force behind Yuuri’s words. Mutely staring as the other man swiftly packed his suitcase with clearly practiced motions, Victor allowed his heart to skip a beat or two at the sight of it – Yuuri was packing. For their trip together. Which he was happy about.

Oh god, the sex toys. Victor stiffened, suddenly remembering that he had ordered several hundred dollars’ worth of experimental toys to learn more about what he was and wasn’t interested in with Yuuri. They’d arrive tomorrow morning… just a few hours before their flight in the afternoon. He’d bought them, but by the time they’d left the restaurant, he’d forgotten all about them.

He could leave them of course… but what if an opportunity arose to use some? He’d have to pack them. Oh god, he’d have to pack them and take the suitcase and Yuuri would SEE the suitcase… would he somehow know what was in it?

No, no he was being stupid. He’d just pack a few things and see if he couldn’t weasel some of Yuuri’s likes and dislikes out of him after all. Pouting at the man’s back – really, Yuuri hadn’t turned around ONCE in at least ten minutes, he casually stretched out on the bed, arranging himself in what he knew to be a seductive pose.

“Yuuri?”

“Hm?” He didn’t turn.

“Will I need to pack something specific? I know most things I can buy, but…” The other man paused, and Victor grew hopeful for a moment, before Yuuri continued packing.

“Not really? It’s spring so it shouldn’t be too cold and as long as you bring what you need for skating and sleeping and such…”

The other man shrugged, and Victor felt a tick of irritation – WHY wasn’t he turning around? He stretched a little bit further, tussling his hair a little and casually opening the top button of his shirt. “Will you sleep with me, Yuuri?” He practically purred, making Yuuri jump and all but bang his head against the door of his cupboard. Jackpot.

The Japanese man shot around, face flushed, and eyed Victor warily. He could see the exact moment Yuuri took in his suggestive position. The reaction he got… well, it wasn’t quite what he’d hoped for. Yuuri pressed his lips and turned back around.

“No, Victor. My room has a single bed. I’m sure my parents will be more than happy to provide you with a room.”

Well, he wasn’t giving up that easily. “So, why can’t you sleep in my room with me then?” He ignored the sigh of irritation from the other man – he was on a mission here!

“Because that would be inappropriate. Besides, what do you get out of sleeping with me anyway? You have Makkachin.”

Victor pouted again.

“Of course I have Makka but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to sleep with you, Yuuuuri! Didn’t I tell you I’d prove-”

Yuuri turned again. “Yes, I remember what you said. You never let me reply to it, this morning, just stormed off.”

Oh. He hadn’t waited for a reply, had he? Well, if Yuuri was going to turn him down, he probably wouldn’t have accepted the tickets. Probably. Maybe? He gulped, fear suddenly coiling in his gut.


	46. Chapter 46

Yuuri eyed the gorgeous man in his bed warily – he’d known EXACTLY why he hadn’t turned around – Victor Nikiforov stretched out on his bed was a pretty deadly sight. Yuuri wanted nothing more than to take him up on his offer, but he knew better, better than to let himself get too close to a straight man.

He sighed.

“Look, Victor, I’m flattered, really, but I don’t think you really want… what you think you do.”

“Isn’t that for me to decide?”

“Well, yes, obviously, but-”

“No, Yuuri. You’ve been telling me what I want and don’t want since yesterday. I’m pretty sure I do know what I want, and it’s you.”

Yuuri did his best not to scowl at the other man. If logic didn’t work…

He walked to the door and unceremoniously locked it, then stood by the side of his bed, arms crossed and looking down at Victor. The sight was… enticing.

“Alright then. You think you want me? Go for it.” He waited, almost delighting in the hesitation, the uncertainty in the other man’s face. It didn’t take long for determination to take over though, and then long arms wrapped around his shoulders and lips pressed firmly into his own.

He returned the kiss but didn’t move to deepen it – he wanted to see how long it would take Victor to chicken out. The other man sighed and parted his lips, his tongue teasing at Yuuri’s lips. He let his own tongue move against Victors, tilting his head a little to make it easier.

Victor moaned in appreciation and he could feel his own resolve melting just a little – the man REALLY knew how to kiss. Hands brushed down his shoulders and over his sides, coming to rest at the waistband of his trousers.

He let Victor keep going, staying still as he pressed their bodies flush together. Really, he had expected that alone to be an issue, but Victor simply purred into the kiss and tugged his hips even closer. It felt divine – all of it.

Yuuri let himself be moved, a little surprised when slightly trembling fingers tugged on his shirt, slowly, gently pulling it up. The intent was clear enough – Yuuri stepped back, breaking the kiss and yanking off the shirt. Victor’s gasp of surprise was nearly enough to make him chicken out, but no – that was what he wanted VICTOR to do after all.

So, he simply stepped back towards the bed, an eyebrow raised in challenge. Victor didn’t hesitate to kiss him again, his hands roaming his sides yet again, the skin to skin contact almost electrifying. He had to admit it felt good, especially when a hand gently brushed over his stomach, fingers trailing higher and splaying out over his pecs.

He felt the older man shiver and then the hands disappeared – Victor was yanking off his own shirt too. That… was a little hard to ignore. Yuuri broke their kiss to watch – if nothing else, seeing the beautiful man half-undressed on his own bed was a memory he’d cherish. His skin was flawless, as was the rest of him, really.

Yuuri found himself reaching out subconsciously, his fingers tracing a line over Victor’s collarbone. The older man arched into his touch and quietly moaned his name – why was Yuuri doing this again?

He couldn’t quite remember as he knelt down on the bed, only for Victor to eagerly tug him closer, until he was on his arms above Victor. He had enough strength to stay in that position for a long time, allowing himself to leisurely kiss the other man, no longer quite so passive in their contact.

Victor was making the most delicious little noises, his body shuddering and fingers tracing hurried patters over Yuuri’s arms and back. Just to see what reaction he’d get, he let their bare fronts brush together, pleased by the mewl of pleasure it got him.

Yuuri pressed his hips against the other man, deepening their kiss and pressing Victor further back into the bed. Something thumped quite loudly next to him, but he paid it no mind – Victor was making the most delightful noises. They ended up stretched out on the bed, Yuuri above Victor, his knee between the taller man’s legs.

He was pleased to feel that Victor was hard – very, actually, and rubbing against his leg. Yuuri wasn’t fairing any better, not with the pure enthusiasm that Victor was responding to him with. He shifted against the other man harder – the position they were in was a little difficult due to their height difference, but he wasn’t about to let that stop him.


	47. Chapter 47

Victor had no idea how he’d ended up in the position he was in – pinned to the bed, a shirtless Yuuri pressed against him, but it was fantastic. Yuuri’s thigh – solid muscle from his skating, and wasn’t that more of a turn-on than expected? – was pressed against his erection, giving just enough pressure and the occasional bit of friction to nearly drive him mad with want.

His hands were uselessly scrambling over Yuuri’s back – despite his slight frame, the other wasn’t as slim as he’d expected. Yuuri was a solid weight above him, and Victor felt like without the other, he might just float away.

He was distantly aware that something heavy appeared to have fallen down somewhere – he didn’t care what it was. All he cared about was pulling Yuuri closer. He wanted to know if the other man was as into what was happening as he was – arching up against him, he got his confirmation. Yuuri was wearing jeans, so it was a little less… obvious than it was through his slacks, but he could still feel that Yuuri was affected like him.

He’d never thought that would ever be a turn-on for him, yet there he was, helplessly writhing under Yuuri’s body. He’d have kept going like that forever, had it not been for a loud knocking sound – someone was at the door, Yuuri’s door.

To be fair, Yuuri was distracting enough that he’d have happily ignored the knocking too – except that it got progressively louder and eventually, Yuuri pulled away with a low growl that DID THINGS to Victor. He wasn’t sure what they were or why, but he was definitely going to have to ask Yuuri to make that noise again.

As it was, he was just upset that the other man had stopped – he was embarrassingly out of breath while Yuuri barely seemed to be breathing hard as he climbed off the bed and stumbled to the door. Stumbled, because he tripped over the suitcase that had been sitting on the bed before they had apparently pushed it and its contents off.

It was now awkwardly laying between the bed and the door, and Yuuri was struggling to get to said door, all the while putting his shirt back on. Opening it revealed Phichit – well, Victor had expected as much, but he still wasn’t happy about it.

The Thai skater had what could only be described as a smug grin on his face and winked at him as soon as Yuuri opened the door. He ignored the other man, shouldering back into his shirt as well.

“Can you two lovebirds keep it down? Thin walls and all. I’m all for Victor having his gay awakening, but maybe do it at his apartment? Or at least when I’m out?”

Victor groaned – now in embarrassment. He hadn’t realised they’d really made that much noise and the last thing he wanted was to anger Yuuri’s friend just by being… thirsty.

“Sorry Phichit. We were just… uh… packing?” Yuuri replied, his voice a little hoarse. Victor had to suppress a grin – was that the best Yuuri could come up with? Apparently.

“Sure, sure. Since you are actually sort of in a hurry, why don’t you do the rest of your packing with the door open? Alternatively, for the low, low price of one pizza, I will vacate the apartment for 30 to 60 minutes.”

That sounded like the better option to Victor, but Yuuri sighed and stepped away from the open door. Well then. Doing his best to act somewhat smooth, Victor rolled over, sat up and crossed his legs. He put Yuuri’s pillow over his lap for good measure – Phichit who was now leaning against the doorframe grinning had suffered enough, in his opinion.

Yuuri busied himself by righting the suitcase and putting the few items that were in it before back – Victor meanwhile, watched Yuuri bend over to pick things up. Before their make-out session, he may well have tried to restrain himself, but as it was, it took a considerable amount of self-control just to sit still.


	48. Chapter 48

Yuuri was mindlessly grabbing clothes and folding them, grateful for the fact that most of his clothes were dark shirts so he didn’t really need to look at what he was doing. It wasn’t that he WASN’T looking, it was just that all he could think about was the desperate way Victor had kissed him. It shouldn’t turn him on so much to kiss a straight man – but dear god, it did.

It wasn’t even the first time, but last time Victor had been drunk, so he’d expected it to be different – it wasn’t. If anything, it was better. The man’s reactions were more enthusiastic than he’d ever experienced, and the clear erection he’d felt through the other man’s surprisingly thin slacks had done nothing to hide it.

Occasionally glancing over at Phichit he almost wished he lived alone… almost. Shaking his head, he reminded himself that it wasn’t as easy as sleeping with Victor, and that enthusiastic didn’t equal the other man actually wanting to sleep with him.

He knew well how different the reality of it was to fantasies, and Victor had, by his own admission, not even really thought about it. That thought sobered him up fast – hesitating for a moment, he turned to his roommate. Phichit was leaning in the doorframe, tapping away at his phone – no doubt posting on social media.

Yuuri cleared his throat, hoping to catch his attention. Something like a pit had settled in his stomach, and he needed to… he needed to not be in the room.

“Would you mind packing some training gear for me? I need the bathroom.” He bit out to his friend before practically running from his room. He didn’t head to the bathroom, but quickly put on his shoes and stepped out into the hallway. At the far side there was a window looking down at a park – well, a patch of grass and a tree, really.

Yanking open the window, he leaned against the frame and took a few deep breaths. He didn’t want to have an anxiety attack – thankfully, it seemed his mind decided to be kind to him just once. After a few deep breaths, he decided he was calm enough to go back.

He had to remind himself that he’d already made his decision on Victor – that he’d follow the other man’s lead while protecting himself against as much pain as possible – so he really had no excuse to not go back. He had packing to do.

As soon as he took his shoes off, he heard quite an ominous sound – Victor and Phichit laughing. At the same time, in his room. Realising that that couldn’t POSSIBLY be good for him, he practically fell over himself to get back over to the two men.


	49. Chapter 49

Victor was confused, watching Yuuri dash off like that. He could plainly see that the other man WASN’T headed to the bathroom but rather out of the flat. He didn’t understand – Phichit, on the other hand, seemed fairly unfazed.

“Don’t worry about him. Just his anxiety. Yuuri sometimes just thinks himself into a panic.” Phichit reassured him.

“So… it’s not me?” He asked, as the door closed behind Yuuri.

“Oh it’s definitely you. He’s completely out of his comfort zone with you, but I’m thinking that might be a good thing. Either way though, he’s going to be a minute, so why don’t you and I get to work?”

Before Victor even had a chance to ask what Phichit meant by getting to work, the Thai skater gabbed all the clothes already in the suitcase and quickly put them back into Yuuri’s closet.

“Sadly, Yuuri is absolutely awful at dressing himself. So, I figured I’d do the packing for him, that way you’ll end up with some bonus eye candy.” Digging through Yuuri’s clothes as if they were his own, Phichit clearly knew what he was looking for.

He readily threw items into the suitcase or back into the depths of the closet – he wasn’t exactly keeping things neat, but from what Victor could see, the other man had good taste. Even with as little variety as Yuuri seemed to have in clothes, the other man chose shades of blue, grey and black that would definitely suit the Japanese man.

Victor quickly squashed the thought that Yuuri would look good in a green/orange tartan pattern, even if it was probably true. He shuddered – no, he wouldn’t let that happen.

“Which one?” Phichit’s question tore him from his thoughts. He was holding two long-sleeved shirts – they both looked like normal training gear.

“I don’t know? They both look the same?”

“Well, this one is a little bit tight on my boy. It shows him off quite well. The other one is a lot softer and quite… huggable.” Victor didn’t miss the fake sleazy grin that Phichit gave as he held up both options.

Victor didn’t even hesitate before pointing at the tighter of the two.

“That one. He’s huggable either way.”

“Good choice, good choice. Shall we take a look at his underwear next?” Victor nearly choked on his own tongue at Phichit’s suggestion.

“He… should probably do that himself. I don’t think he’d appreciate me going through his underwear.”

A moment of silence between them fell, until Victor realised what he’d just inadvertently said – he burst into laughter the same moment Phichit did. He genuinely liked the Thai skater – they seemed to have a surprisingly similar sense of humour and an interest in how Yuuri was dressed… plus, Victor was well-aware that befriending the other man could only earn him bonus points with his Yuuri.

His Yuuri.

He liked that.

His Yuuri stumbled through the door a moment later, surprisingly out of breath, and suspiciously eyeing them both.


	50. Chapter 50

“So… what’s going on here?” He asked after a moment of uncomfortable silence, though he’d mostly figured it out already.

Phichit was an awful friend, that was what was happening. He only had to eye the complete mess that was his closet to realise what had happened – Phichit had gone through it, and clearly Victor had enabled him.

Although his roommate had a significantly more developed sense of fashion, he also had zero qualms about turning over every item in Yuuri’s closet in his search for the right thing to wear. Not even waiting for a response, he turned to his now quite full suitcase and started folding again.

He was by no means the neatest person when it came to clothes but he certainly wasn’t as bad as Phichit. Neatly folding shirts and pants around his skate bag, he didn’t miss the fact that Victor was watching him… and not entirely innocently, it seemed.

He wasn’t sure if he was misinterpreting his gaze, if it was just the way he looked at people or something specific to him but… he shivered. Having those baby blue eyes trained on him felt strange. He couldn’t quite describe what he saw when he met his gaze – he just knew that it felt a little too complex to analyse in the middle of packing.

It helped that Phichit had taken to casually dissing most of what he owned – his friend’s chatter prevented what may have been an awkward silence. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t heard before either – the other man made no secret of his feelings on Yuuri’s wardrobe.

Folding and putting things away went quickly enough, and soon he was down to the second suitcase, with only a few things he could possibly need. Victor was pursing his lips though, seemingly confused.

“What is it?” He asked him.

“Aren’t you bringing a suit or two?” The Russian asked, pointing back at his closet.

Yuuri cleared his throat. 

“First off, I really only have the one suit, and secondly… why would I? We’re just visiting my parents.”

Victor gave him a disapproving look.

“But Yuuuri! What if I want to take you out to a fancy dinner while we’re there? You can’t exactly borrow my clothes, you’re too short!”

He winced – not because of the short comment (he was used to those in America) – but because of what Victor seemed to expect from his hometown.

“Uhm… Hasetsu doesn’t really… I mean there aren’t any fancy restaurants? The nearest nice ones are probably in Fukuoka? That’s an hours drive away.”

Victor visibly deflated and Yuuri felt a pit settle in his stomach… again. Victor, he was sure of it, would hate Hasetsu. He’d be bored and then… he’d be bored with Yuuri and he’d leave. Despite his reservations, he didn’t want that.

Heart beating too fast, he reached for his suit.

“I guess I can take it, just in case.” He muttered before folding it into the suitcase.


	51. Chapter 51

Victor beamed – he’d been a little worried when Yuuri had said there were no nice restaurants. He’d already be on unfamiliar turf there, what with not speaking the language or knowing the area – he’d figured his best bet was to take Yuuri to fancy restaurants he knew and liked. That not being an option had thrown him momentarily – then again, he was more than just a fancy dinner date, and he’d prove it, suit or no suit.

He couldn’t quite tell what it was, but something seemed to have worsened Yuuri’s mood quite a bit. Unsure of just what to do he sat in silence while Yuuri fussed with his suit. Even Phichit seemed a little confused by Yuuri’s change in mood.

He considered saying something, but when said skater just shrugged at Yuuri’s behaviour, he decided to follow his lead… quietly. So, he sat still while Yuuri finished up the second suitcase and put it next to the first.

“So, I guess that’s that? Do we… do you need to pack too, Victor?” Torn from his thoughts, it took hi a moment to realise the other man had addressed him.

“Ah, I guess I should pack. Our flight leaves tomorrow – would you like me to come pick you up then?” He didn’t miss the flash of hesitation in Yuuri’s eyes at his words – what in the world had he said or done to cause this change now?

“Would… would you like some help packing as well?” 

The three of them had wandered back into the common area, with Phichit politely pretending to wash dishes at the sink, and them standing near the couch. Yuuri’s tone suggested he didn’t really want to help, and Victor wasn’t about to make him… except that Phichit flashed him a thumbs up over his shoulder.

“If you’d like to, I would appreciate the help. I have… a lot of stuff to choose from.” That was an understatement – he didn’t need the help at all, but he could see the benefit of Yuuri picking things he wanted him to wear. After all, he did want to look good for the other.

After a moment’s hesitation, Yuuri nodded.

“Alright. Then… why don’t you put the suitcases into the car, I’ll grab my documents and we can go?”

Swallowing around a sudden lump in his throat, Victor nodded. Apparently Yuuri was now planning to spend the night? He wasn’t quite sure what was happening, but since it seemed to align nicely with what he wanted, he wasn’t about to question it.

Phichit had (unhelpfully!!) gone to his own room, so Victor couldn’t ask him for context or an explanation – he could, however, hear Yuuri talk to his roommate in a hushed voice. Torn between eavesdropping and doing as Yuuri had requested, he hesitated a moment before grabbing the two suitcases.

He wasn’t one to violate others' privacy like that. Not even if he was dying to know what exactly was happening.


	52. Chapter 52

Yuuri was standing in Phichit’s room, his clammy hands in his pocket.

What was he even doing? Why had he treated Victor, world-famous Instagram model Victor as his personal page boy? And hadn’t he basically invited himself to stay with the other man? Who DID things like that?

Watching in silence as Phichit fished Yuuri’s passport from their shared safe underneath a hamster cage, he did his best to take deep breaths the way his therapist had taught him.

“So what’s your plan then?” Phichit asked, breaking the silence.

“… Plan?” He asked, unsure what the other man meant.

“Well, you’ve blundered your way into a sleep-over it seems. I’m assuming you have a plan? Something to do with what was it, ‘All the gay’-” 

“PHICHIT!” He hissed, interrupting the other before he could finish. “It isn’t LIKE that. I just… blurted it out? I meant to say that he doesn’t have to pick me up and I could take the bus to the airport. Or, you know, that we could maybe save a trip or something? I don’t know what I’m doing here.”

“Hm, that much is obvious.” His roommate handed him his passport. “Do you know what you want?”

Yes.

“No.”

“Yuuri… you should probably figure that out before someone gets hurt. The way I see it, he’s probably sincere in his feelings for you. I mean, why else would he go through so much trouble. I think he genuinely wants to impress you.”

Yuuri winced.

“I know… that’s part of the problem.”

The Thai skater sighed.

“Why is it a problem?”

“Because… he’ll get bored. Of Hasetsu. Of me. You heard him, he wants to go to expensive restaurants. There really aren’t any in my village.” To his surprise, Phichit placed an arm around his shoulders and steered him out of his room.

“Have you considered that he’s as out of his depth as you are? Expensive restaurants are probably just what he’s used to. He may not know what else to do. Seems to me though, that he’s pretty adaptable.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, going by the noises he was making earlier, he had NO trouble adapting to the fact that you are a guy!” Before he could so much a squeak in protest, his roommate had pushed him out of the door of their shared flat, tossed him his shoes and jacket and closed the door with a final “Have fun together!”.

Standing in front of his own flat, mouth open, he put on his shoes and jacket. Victor was nowhere to be seen – he’d probably done as Yuuri had requested and taken the suitcases down. He really needed to apologise to Victor for talking to him like that.

Groaning quietly, he turned and headed down the stairs – it really wouldn’t do to keep the other man waiting. He pulled out his phone out of habit as he walked out, as usually he would be checking bus schedules. Instead, he found himself opening his camera app and snapping a picture.

Victor was leaning against his car, tapping on his own phone. He hadn’t spotted Yuuri yet and seemed quite absorbed in what he was doing. Even casually leaning against his car, his silver hair caught the light just so and his clothes fit in all the right places.

Yuuri was obviously gay, but he wasn’t sure he’d ever felt quite as gay as he did in that moment. Quietly saving the picture he knew he shouldn’t have taken without permission so he could be mad at himself later, he put away his phone and approached.

He only got a few steps closer before Victor noticed him and waved, happily smiling.

He mentally corrected himself – clearly, he hadn’t been gay AT ALL before Victor Nikiforov had smiled at him. And now… now he was about to go to the man’s flat before embarking on a nearly month-long trip with him.

Dear god, he was SO screwed.


	53. Chapter 53

Taking a deep breath, Victor pulled out of the parking space, Yuuri sitting next to him, suitcases on the back seat. The younger man was fidgeting a little, and his nervousness was definitely rubbing off on him.

Victor was happy – ecstatic, actually, that things seemed to be going so… well, at the moment, but he couldn’t help but feel that he had his work cut out for him. His experience so far suggested that he did okay while Phichit was around, but that was no guarantee he wouldn’t say or do something stupid while alone.

That was, after all, how their first half dozen or so encounters had gone. He was under no delusion that just because Yuuri had kissed him a few times that they were together, or that the other man had accepted his feelings… but it was a start.

Gripping the steering wheel tighter, he tried to think of what he could do to prove himself… only to come up blank. Really, his best option was to ask Chris for advice again. That would require getting away from Yuuri for a few minutes though, and he couldn’t exactly just abandon him in his own flat.

Well, he’d figure something out.

Pulling up to his building, he wasted no time getting both of Yuuri’s suitcases, despite the man’s protests – he was trying to spoil the man after all. After an effusive greeting by Makka, he led Yuuri to his bedroom. 

While it wasn’t the first time they had been there, it was the first time neither of them was drunk. Quite suddenly, all he could think about was making out on Yuuri’s bed, and how much bigger his own was. Yuuri meanwhile seemed oblivious, sitting in a lounge chair near the large built-in wardrobe.

Shaking off thoughts of kissing, he pulled two of his own suitcases from one of the hallway cupboards. His own were a fair bit larger than Yuuri’s, but then he also had a lot more stuff. Opening both up and putting them on the bed, he winked at the other man.

“So what would you like to see me in?” He cheerfully asked, hoping to pull them both out of the slightly sour mood they seemed to be in – if for different reasons. Instead of answering immediately, Yuuri blinked slowly and looked him up and down once. 

Heart beating inexplicably fast, he steeled himself for whatever response the other man could give. He was prepared for everything from ‘maid costume’ to ‘nothing’ really – not that he would enjoy the former. He’d certainly give it a try if Yuuri wanted him to, but…

“You’d look beautiful in anything.”

Oh.

Victor quickly turned around and faced his open wardrobe, face bright pink. He wasn’t sure what about the compliment had made him blush that hard – he didn’t blush, normally. He got compliments all the time. It was his job to look good. 

He’d been called good-looking, handsome, hot and so on countless times, but something about the sincerity with which Yuuri had said that really hit home. Maybe it was that he wasn’t used to being called beautiful, per se – that was more for women, in his mind.

Not that he disliked it – Yuuri could call him anything he wanted.

Blindly sorting through clothes, he decided that it had to be Yuuri’s tone that had made him react like that. He’d said it as if it was just a fact of life – it wasn’t even meant to be flattery, he thought. Shivering lightly at the effect the other man had on him, he tried to focus on his task.

He had clothes to pick.


	54. Chapter 54

Watching Victor sift through what seemed to be hundreds of different shirts, suits and other clothing was… interesting. If he hadn’t caught the man’s blush when he turned away, he might have thought that he’d offended Victor… instead, it seemed he had flustered him.

He liked that, liked that he could do that to a man like Victor.

“How about this shirt?” The Russian asked, tearing him from his thoughts. He was holding up a pale pink shirt that would have looked hideous on anyone other than Victor.

“I like it.” He replied truthfully. Nodding, Victor threw it – yes, threw it – into the suitcase. Mentally groaning at the fact that apparently Victor and Phichit had more in common than he knew, he got up and picked up the shirt, folding it neatly. It felt smooth in his hands – an expensive material, clearly.

Victor hadn’t noticed him yet, instead, he was sorting through more shirts. Yuuri set the first shirt down and waited for the next suggestion.

“Blue or red?” Victor asked, showing him a dark red and blue shirt, respectively. That was easy.

“Blue.” He responded. The Russian threw the corresponding shirt into the suitcase, and Yuuri once again folded it. They repeated the process a few more times before Victor seemed to pause and look at the suitcase.

“Yuuri, did you fold the shirts?”

“Hm? Yes? So there’s more space and they won’t wrinkle.”

“Yuuuuri! Thank you!” Victor beamed at him, making him smile as well – the man’s good moods were surprisingly contagious.

Perching on the bed next to the suitcase, Yuuri caught and folded whatever else Victor tossed him – of course, only after he approved each item. He had no idea what would or wouldn’t look good on the other man, so he mostly just went with colours he liked. In other words, the man ended up with a lot of pinks, blues and a bit of purple.

The only thing he genuinely disliked when Victor suggested it was a green shirt – something about it really seemed to clash with Victor’s eyes. For pants, Victor showed him pairs of slacks in varying shades of grey or black – he pretty much blindly pointed at a few different ones, hoping they wouldn’t clash with anything.

As for suits – there were several hung up in the wardrobe, and one, in particular, caught his eye. He’d seen Victor in grey suits before, and after stalking his Instagram on Phichit’s phone, he’d seen some beige ones as well, but…

Tentatively, he walked over and pulled out a deep black suit. It looked a lot more formal than his own did, but he rather imagined that the man would look fantastic in it. Before he could even suggest it, Victor had snatched it up, folded the bag in half and placed it in the suitcase – with a lot more care than he’d shown for the shirts.

Yuuri shuddered at the thought of how expensive it probably was when another bag joined it – another suit, and then one more. With the first suitcase filled for the most part, Yuuri zipped it up and pushed it to the door – it was heavier than he had expected.

Victor was packing more things into the second one – socks, a pouch filled with what looked like a huge amount of gels and tubes and whatnot in it, and so on. He decided not to think about the fact that somewhere in there would be the man’s underwear as well.

He’d seen him mostly undressed before, and, well, he was all too aware of how beautiful the other man was. If he deliberately looked away while Victor packed the second suitcase, who could blame him? He’d already proven on his own bed that he had zero self-restraint at the moment.

Trying to focus on something else, he knelt down to pet a very excited Makka, who seemed to appreciate the ear-scratches a lot. Victor was hard to ignore, shuffling behind him, but somehow he managed.

It wasn’t long before the tell-tale sound of Victor zipping up the second suitcase let him know he was done.

“Is that all you needed to pack?” He asked, turning back to the Russian.

“Not quite. There are a few things I’ll pack tomorrow morning, and I need to grab some things for my Makka, but all of my things are packed.”

“Aren’t you putting her things into your suitcase as well?”

Victor looked at him as if he’d suggested wearing his pants on his head.

“Of course not! My Makka has her own suitcase! Actually, would you go get it for me? It should be in the hallway cupboard, bottom left.”

Nodding, he went off in search of said suitcase – it was easy enough to find. The suitcase itself was fairly plain, but the cover wasn’t – Victor had clearly gotten a custom one. The thin but sturdy fabric featured a collage of pictures… of Makka’s face.

It was equally hideous and adorable, really. He wheeled the smaller case to Victor, who wasted no time in pulling off the cover and unzipping the pink case. In it were a few things like brushes and shampoos already – he watched Victor add some food, what looked like a passport and a pillow. All that done, he closed it up again and put it with the other two while Yuuri watched from the corner chair he’d sat in earlier.

“Alright, that’s that. I think I’ll take these down and put them all in the car for now. Should make it easier tomorrow.”

“Would you like some help?” He offered, already across the room to grab one of the larger bags.

“…Why not?” Victor replied, beaming.


	55. Chapter 55

He was going to die, he decided as he watched Yuuri lift the third suitcase into the boot of his rental. The Japanese skater had taken off his hoodie and revealed a short-sleeved, surprisingly tight-fitting shirt underneath. The way his muscles visibly bulged when he lifted the cases… mouth dry, Victor shivered.

He’d planned on doing all the lifting himself, but Yuuri had taken over before he’d even realised what was happening and then… he enjoyed watching the other too much to really interrupt. Despite his smaller stature, Yuuri had no problem lifting his own and Victor’s suitcases into the boot one at a time.

He was a little sweaty from the effort, not that Victor minded, and far too soon, he was done and he was out of excuses to watch him. They headed back up to the flat where Makka acted as if they had been gone for weeks, and Yuuri immediately asked for a shower.

The bathroom being adjacent to the bedroom, Victor decided it was as good a time as any to sit on the bed and check the status of his… well, delivery. He hadn’t forgotten about that, even if he’d been busy ogling Yuuri.

The package was predicted to arrive by 10am – perfect.

He spied a rush button at the bottom – for an extra $10 dollars, the company promised same-day delivery by 11pm. He’d never pressed a button faster in his life, wondering all the while how he’d missed that option the first time around.

Pleased that his things would arrive even sooner, and excited at the thought of what they meant, he relaxed a little. If he was quiet enough, he could hear the water from his shower, well-aware that Yuuri was under said shower, naked.

He’d so far only seen him half-naked, and while that was an attractive sight indeed, he fully planned on seeing more in the near future. For a moment, he couldn’t help but consider what Yuuri had repeated over and over – that he was straight, and that he wouldn’t be… into him.

As if.

Shaking off the thought along with his own worries in regards to his inexperience when it came to sex with men, he was almost too distracted to notice the water had cut off – Yuuri was done.

Indeed, seconds later, a dripping wet Yuuri opened the bathroom door, a towel wrapped low around his hips, glasses… well, somewhere else. Victor gulped.

He was going to die.


	56. Chapter 56

Showering after lifting those suitcases had felt great except, as he’d stepped out, he’d realised that he hadn’t grabbed a change of clothes beforehand. He debated between putting on the same shirt again and asking Victor for something – one sniff of the shirt in question later, he opened the bathroom door.

“Could I borrow a change of clothes from you?” He asked his host, who was casually sitting on the bed… and apparently hadn’t heard him.

“Victor?” He asked again when the Russian said nothing. He was just… staring. At Yuuri.

Oh.

Cautiously, he approached the bed, noticing that the closer he got, the redder Victor’s face got. He regretted not having put on his glasses as he couldn’t actually make out his expression very well – they were too fogged up to put on though.

“Uh, you want… clothes?” Victor eventually asked, his eyes running up and down Yuuri’s mostly naked form. It was quite flattering, he had to admit.

“If it’s not too much trouble.”

Nodding, the man got off the bed and opened one of the cupboards, seemingly blindly digging for something. He found it easily enough – a pair of sweatpants and a shirt. Yuuri accepted them gratefully and dashed back into the bathroom.

He wasn’t entirely sure whether Victor’s… reaction to him had been good or bad. The blush had indicated he liked what he saw but… well, he was still fairly sure that when it actually came to being with a man, Victor would chicken out, or at least not really be into it.

Pulling on the borrowed clothes, he was a little offended by how little they fit – they were way too big on him. Even tied, the sweatpants sat low on his hips, and the shirt was so wide it very nearly hung off one shoulder. A little annoyed, he shoved most of it into the pants – that way, he figured, they would stay up and it would stay in place.

Thus dressed, he headed out to the bedroom again, only to find it empty. An investigation revealed that Victor had relocated to the kitchen – he was just finishing a glass of wine and pouring himself another.

“Would you like some wine?” The Russian asked, not looking at him directly.

“Sure.”

Victor grabbed a second glass and filled it for him before handing it to him. The wine – white – smelled surprisingly nice and he took a small sip even as he watched Victor gulp down half of his in one go.

“You must be quite thirsty.” Yuuri commented in between sips of his wine – he’d never seen the other man drink quite so fast.

To his surprise, Victor nearly choked – he slammed down his glass and started coughing quite badly. Yuuri felt awful – he wasn’t sure whether it had been him that had set the other man off, but either way he lightly patted his back until Victor’s coughing fit was over.

“Ah, sorry. I just… really needed a drink. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“N-No, it’s ok. Are you ok?”

“I’m fine. Just fine.”


	57. Chapter 57

He was not fine. He would probably never be fine again, he decided as he cleared his throat. He’d nearly had a heart attack seeing wet, naked Yuuri walk around his flat, but seeing the man in his own clothes wasn’t any easier on his poor heart.

They were big – he’d expected that, he HADN’T expected the mix of adorableness and sexiness the look had. Really, there wasn’t even anything that sexy about borrowed clothes, but something about seeing his pants sitting so very low on Yuuri’s hips… it made his mouth water.

A heart attack was likely, assuming he even lived long enough for one. Hearing Yuuri call him thirsty halfway through his third glass of wine – and he was only drinking to distract himself from thoughts of dragging the man to bed – had nearly made him choke on his wine. Not a pleasant way to go – not when the alcohol was still unpleasantly burning down his throat.

As they sat on the couch, he contemplated his behaviour – by all rights, it was a bit ridiculous. He was a grown man, far from inexperienced. Yet, when it came to Yuuri he felt like a teenager with his first crush.

He could hardly form a sentence around him, and to add insult to injury, Yuuri didn’t even seem to notice. It wasn’t fair – he wasn’t normally a complete mess around someone he was interested in, and just when he actually wanted to be witty and flirty, he instead turned into a spluttering mess. Normally it wouldn’t matter, but he was constantly second-guessing himself – he didn’t want to risk alienating Yuuri by accident.

As it was, they were both drinking wine, tapping on their phones. Well, Yuuri was. He was just pretending while he watched the other man. Before he could think better of it, he muted the device and opened the camera. He was already angled to snap a quick picture of him, so he did. The first one was a little shaky, the others came out better. Naturally, they were immediately saved into his ‘Yuuri <3 <3 <3 <3 <3’ folder.

He’d had to cut down on the ‘<3’s a little as the folder name was getting too long, much to his chagrin. He’d amassed a steady collection now – it was hardly the first time he was stealth-photographing Yuuri.

His collection was further supplemented by Phichit’s Instagram account, and, of course, the photos Yuuri had sent him voluntarily. Pleased by his little treasure trove of memories of the man, he put down his phone, surprised to see that Yuuri had done the same thing, and was watching him.

“Hm? Would you like some more wine?” He offered, despite the fact that he’d had most of the bottle already.

“Ah, no. I was just… thinking.”

“Oh? About what?”

“You.” Yuuri replied, his tone… dare he call it fond?

“What were you thinking about me then?” Victor took another gulp from his glass, trying to steel himself for whatever answer he might get.

“Are you really sure you want to come to Japan with me? For three weeks? That’s a long time.” 

Not as long as it would be without him… but he couldn’t well say that.

“I’m sure. Besides, coach, I have to come with you, don’t I?”

Yuuri chuckled.

“Oh yeah, that. I almost forgot. You still want to do the skating thing? Even though… even though it was just to meet me?”

Victor paused for a moment.

“It was to meet you, but I wasn’t lying when I said I was hoping that I could learn to love the ice like you and Chris. I find it admirable that you are so dedicated and passionate about it. I was never… well, it was never like that for me.” Not before Yuuri at least – but he DEFINITELY couldn’t say that without spooking the other man.

“Oh. I wasn’t sure whether you really meant that when you said it.”

Victor shrugged.

“I don’t blame you, but I was serious. Besides, I’ll have some VERY angry sponsors on my hands if I just quit partway through. This way, I can show my followers something even more exciting – skating in Japan!”

Yuuri gave a half-hearted smile.

“Are most of your fans in America?”

Victor realised that it was the first time Yuuri had actually asked about his Instagram career – he perked up. While he wasn’t exactly passionate about it, he did enjoy it, usually.

“I have fans all over, but especially in Russia and the US, yeah. There are a fair few in Europe too.”

“Would you… would you tell me a little more about it?”

Victor beamed at him – Yuuri showing interest in him felt… wonderful. Like, for the first time, the other wasn’t just tolerating him or dealing with him, but was actually… interested.

“What do you want to know?”


	58. Chapter 58

Yuuri had never been the type who could just talk to someone for hours without noticing how much time had passed – yet that’s exactly what happened between him and Victor. Talking about the man’s work, then about travelling, then about nothing at all was probably one of the best conversations he’d ever had.

Before he knew it, he was absolutely exhausted, and… well, someone was knocking on the door. A glance at the clock revealed that it was almost 11pm – who would knock so late? Before he could ask though, Victor had practically flown off the couch and to the door.

A package delivery, Yuuri realised when Victor came back carrying quite a large brown box. It was a little late, but Victor didn’t seem phased. He did, however, excuse himself to the bedroom, leaving Yuuri alone in his living room.

It wasn’t as awkward as expected – although they’d killed the bottle a while ago, he still had his wineglass. It was sitting next to Victor’s on the couch table, while he was lounging in the corner of the comfy couch. 

Really, it was quite domestic, even if the expensive décor wasn’t quite what he would have picked for himself – nor the clothes.

Stretching out a little more, he was pleased when Makka jumped up and laid down by his side – clearly, she liked it too.

How odd was it that he was with a man like Victor though – despite his, admittedly many, wrong assumptions about him, he’d never expected to be in the sort of scenario he was in. A beautiful man like Victor, pursuing him, plain Yuuri – it made no sense.

He sort of, kind of, loved it.

Victor wasn’t what he’d expected. He was full of surprises, and so far they seemed to get along well. He didn’t exactly have a name for what they were, but he was willing to see where it would lead.

For now, that was his hometown. Deliberately avoiding thoughts about Victor getting bored, he decided to come up with ways to keep his interest instead. The man would love the hot springs, of that he was certain. He’d probably enjoy the beach too, and Minako’s bar, maybe.

He smiled at the thought of seeing his old dance teacher again – he missed her, missed his family. Missed Vicchan. 

He was fairly certain it was the wine, but he was suddenly quite overcome with a wave of fondness for Victor – it was thanks to him that he’d get to see them again, and so soon. Victor had gone to extraordinary lengths… for him.

He smiled.

Maybe it wasn’t JUST the wine.


	59. Chapter 59

Victor was practically hyperventilating. He’d snatched his parcel and hightailed to the bedroom to look at what he’d bought. Opening the box had been easy enough, but actually looking through its contents… he wasn’t so sure anymore. 

He’d been so eager, so excited, but faced with the reality of the box…

Gulping, he reached in and pulled out the items out one by one. He knew he’d ordered a lot, but looking at what he had before him, spread out on the bed… well, he’d overdone it. Probably.

He’d gotten a selection of lubes – various bottles, sachets, tubes and more. There were flavoured ones, scented ones, ones that doubled as massage oils and more. Next to them sat several butt plugs – he’d had no idea what he was doing, so he had ordered several different kinds. Some vibrated, some were quite large… there was even a glass one. Poking it lightly, he winced – it didn’t seem comfortable at all.

Then there was a fairly big box – something called a trainer kit. Having no experience at all, it had seemed like a good idea at the time. Opening the box, he took out one of them – the smallest. It was only about the size of his finger, and significantly less intimidating than that glass monster.

There was more – the site Chris had recommended had endlessly praised some extenders and sleeves, so he had grabbed some of those as well. Seeing them in real life he wasn’t so keen – they seemed quite weird to him. He glanced past the few cock rings he’d bought, both vibrating and not – they weren’t any different than ones he’d seen before, and given his reactions to Yuuri so far, he’d likely need them.

There was one more item – hands down the most expensive thing he’d bought, not that the rest of it had been cheap. The Lelo Wave it was called, and it promised to be the best prostate massager on the market. Given that he’d paid well over $200 dollars for it, he hoped that would be true.

With all of his purchases spread out in front of him, he contemplated something else – what was he supposed to pack, and how could he make sure Yuuri wouldn’t see any of it by accident? His first thought was to get another suitcase, but he decided that was just too suspicious… not to mention, he had at least some pride left, and he would not go to the airport with a suitcase filled with sex toys.

No, he’d hide them with the rest of his stuff like everyone else.

The solution was surprisingly easy – he had a left-over beauty case with a 3-digit lock – perfect. The only problem with it was that it wasn’t very big and thus couldn’t fit everything. He started by grabbing a selection of the lubes and cock rings, before hesitantly unpacking the trainer kit and putting its contents in as well.

That left very little space – he decided to fill it with two butt plugs. He gave the glass one a wide berth and instead picked two smaller ones.

Then he set a code – his weight. No way would Yuuri guess that… and he wasn’t about to admit it either. Thus satisfied, he quietly shuffled the rest of his purchases back into the box they came in and put it at the bottom of his wardrobe, as far back as he could manage.

With that done as well, he grabbed the beauty case and went to rejoin his hopefully-soon-to-be-lover in his living room.

He didn’t make it past the doorframe before practically melting into a puddle of sappy goo.

Yuuri had fallen asleep on the couch – he was huddled into the corner, peacefully snoozing away. Makka was cuddled up against him, her head on his thigh, legs up in the air. She didn’t often sleep on her back, but when she did it was always adorable.

Phone out, he snuck closer, hoping to get a photo before either of them woke up. He did, just barely – then Makka noticed him and rolled off Yuuri to greet him, enthusiastic as ever. Yuuri didn’t stir at all – instead, the man just curled in on himself more. Victor struggled to find words for the wave of emotions that rolled over him at the sight – speechless, he just… stared.

When it became evident that Yuuri wasn’t going to wake up any time soon, he put away his phone, set the case down by his jacket so he wouldn’t forget it and very carefully scooped Yuuri off the couch.

The smaller man was a little heavier than expected, but it wasn’t too difficult to carry him to the bed and set him down there. He didn’t so much as stir – not until Victor very carefully covered him with the blanket.

He immediately grabbed a hold of it and rolled around until he was completely wrapped up. It left Victor with preciously little of the blanket, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Laying down next to Yuuri and shuffling under the last free corner, he allowed himself to openly stare at the other man.

He’d started doubting things a little with the toys earlier, but now that he was looking at Yuuri again, that doubt was completely wiped from his mind. He really loved him, wanted to sleep like this forever. Next to the other man, close enough to feel his breath on his face, and to see the tiny wrinkles that appeared on his forehead.

Yanking a little on the blanket, he was pleased when Yuuri rolled over a little more and released some of the warm fabric. He ended with his back turned to Victor – the perfect opportunity for him to cuddle up to the other man.

Forehead pressed against Yuuri’s back and one arm carefully laid over his side, he fell asleep in seconds.


	60. Chapter 60

Yuuri woke up confused. That tended to happen when one nodded off on the couch and woke up well-rested somewhere else. It took him a moment to figure out where he was – Victor’s bed. The man was wrapped around him from behind, arms around his middle.

It took his foggy morning brain a moment to realise just how incredibly…comfortable he was. Victor was pressed to him from chest to toe, his face pressed to Yuuri’s neck and his freezing feet against Yuuri’s.

It should have been uncomfortable, constricting, too warm even, but somehow… it wasn’t.

Yuuri felt safe in a way he wasn’t used to, though he realised a moment later, he’d felt it before. A peculiar warmth that seemed to be unique to Victor’s hugs. The man was still sound asleep, so Yuuri allowed himself to snuggle back against him a little, grinning goofily as he did so.

In return, Victor tightened his hold and sleepily murmured Yuuri’s name. He blushed – not because of that, but because he realised that Victor really was closely pressed against him – at that included his morning wood. It was nestled perfectly against his ass and although that wasn’t really his favourite thing to do in bed, the appeal of Victor fucking him like that was undeniable.

Shivering at the thought, he considered how to best handle the situation. In another situation, he may have reached down and done something about it. As it was, that wasn’t really an option – he ignored the little voice in his mind that reminded him of the fact that Victor had made it very clear that it WAS an option.

Given that the man didn’t seem keen on releasing him, he couldn’t exactly just get up either. That left him one option – waking the other man up. He contemplated how to do it when a genius solution occurred to him – Makka.

The dog was curled up under the window, and watching him squirm around. Perfect. He used his free arm – the one not pinned by Victor, to gesture for the dog to come over, and quietly invited her onto the bed.

He’d expected her to hop up and to hopefully wake Victor – he HADN’T expected her to take a running start, leap over them both and come down on the bed behind Victor with a woof. Clearly, Victor hadn’t either.

He released him with a startled yelp, nearly knocked him out of the bed actually, as Makka half-bounced and half-walked around on the mattress. The dog seemed unconcerned that Victor had still been sleeping and was now leaning up on his elbows.

She was wagging, sniffing the blanket, licking Victor’s cheek. With a groan, said man dropped back on the bed and draped his arm over his face. Yuuri couldn’t help his laugh – it was quite cute. Apparently the noise reminded Makka that there was someone else in the bed because she immediately stepped over her owner to lick him.

At least, that’s what he thought.


	61. Chapter 61

Victor was woken by chaos. Makka was bouncing around on the bed, completely uncaring that she’d interrupted a wonderful dream he was having. It had been about him and Yuuri, and the details were already getting rather fuzzy in his mind.

He remembered enough to know that it had involved him, Yuuri and some of those toys he’d gotten. Lamenting that he didn’t get to see the end of the dream, he hid his face under his arm, when Yuuri’s chuckle reminded him that he had something better than a wet dream – the real man.

A moment later, he wheezed in pain and curled in on himself. Makka, in her desire to lick Yuuri, had stepped over him, except that she’d missed. Well, technically, her aim had been perfectly accurate – if the goal was to kick him where it hurt anyway.

The poodle was oblivious of course, even as Victor was fighting tears. He could see genuine concern fighting mirth in Yuuri’s eyes – not that he could really blame the other man.

Much.

“Why… does this always happen when I’m in bed with you?” He wheezed out, slightly winded from the pain. He hadn’t really meant for Yuuri to hear the words of course, but the other man did – confusion was plain on his features.

Of course, Victor wasn’t too surprised – with how drunk the skater had been, he hadn’t really remembered what had happened between them at the Grand Prix. This time it wasn’t Yuuri’s fault either – not that that made the pain any less excruciating.

After a few more moments – Makka now curled up on Yuuri’s legs – the pain subsided enough that he could force a shaky smile at Yuuri. The man returned it eagerly enough, still rumpled from sleep and his glasses nowhere in sight.

It was a lovely sight, Victor had to admit.

“Would you like some breakfast?” 

“Hm?” He asked, distracted completely by the look of sleepy Yuuri in his clothes.

“Are you hungry? I could make us breakfast if you’d like.”

Nodding dumb-founded, because he certainly hadn’t expected that sort of thing from his houseguest, he watched as Yuuri stretched, climbed out of bed and wandered off into the kitchen. The sheer domesticity of it felt as alien as it felt wonderful – he hadn’t realised how badly he wanted that sort of thing, that sort of life.

Absentmindedly petting Makka, he stood too and headed to the bathroom to make himself presentable. They had a long journey ahead of themselves.


	62. Chapter 62

Victor was a very enthusiastic traveller, Yuuri learned.

They had left for the airport early – after dropping the car off with a valet and loading their suitcases onto a trolley and subsequently checking them in, Victor had dragged him to a way overpriced café and ordered them both some tea.

It was good, but he wasn’t nearly as… excited as the Russian was.

Victor Instagrammed his tea, of course, even stealing Yuuri’s biscuit for a better picture – at least that was the excuse he gave right before eating it.

He expected the other man to calm down when they headed to their gate.

He did not.

Of course, he also 100% hadn’t expected to see the words ‘First Class’ written on the ticket Victor handed him at the gate. He hadn’t noticed the first time around and seeing it just as they got ready to board nearly gave him a panic attack.

He desperately tried to estimate just HOW MUCH money Victor would have had to pay, but he couldn’t begin to guess – he just knew that even economy tickets were pricy for the route they were flying.

Victor seemed oblivious to his anxiety, happily bouncing along as they were among the first to board. It was a double-decker plane – Yuuri had never been on one before, and anxiously followed Victor to the upper deck. He’d never so much as seen that sort of long-haul first class before – he was quite shocked to see that, rather than seats, they had more of a booth, with their own TV and seats that fully folded down into slim beds.

He was absolutely blown away.

Victor was clearly used to travelling like that and simply insisted that he get the window seat – as if Yuuri could have refused – and started snapping a few more pictures. Yuuri was mainly focusing on staying calm.

After having a surprisingly pleasing morning, it was proving to be quite the struggle.

He’d made Victor pancakes and coffee, and they’d shared both in his kitchen. Now, Yuuri had hoped their journey would be similar – he was, of course, wrong.

In fact, even as the plane took off, it still felt a bit wrong. He felt terribly out of place, especially next to Victor. Perhaps one of the most nerve-wracking things for him had been the stares. Victor was recognised at every step of the way, and though nobody directly approached them, he could feel their stares.

They were probably wondering what someone like him was doing with someone like Victor, and he couldn’t blame them. Even some of the stewardesses seemed to be looking at him for a little longer than was necessary – clenching his hands into fists, he took a deep breath.

“Yuuri?”

A pale hand appeared in his field of vision and gently landed on his arm.

Victor.

“Are you okay, Yuuri? Are you… are you scared of flying? Airsick?” The concern in Victor’s voice was evident, as was the confusion. Shaking his head, he forced himself to relax a little.

“No, it’s okay. I’m just… I’m not used to this. I feel really out of place.” He confessed, hoping that Victor wouldn’t think it was a weird thing to say. He didn’t seem phased at all by his admission.

“Mh, Phichit said that you might react this way. First Class was supposed to be a surprise.” 

Well, he was certainly surprised.

“Excuse me, I’ll just head to the toilet for a minute.” He blurted out before practically sprinting to the nearest one. To his pleasant surprise, it was significantly larger than normal airplane toilets were and not nearly as cramped.

Sitting on the closed lid, he forced himself to breathe deeply.


	63. Chapter 63

Victor knew he was being a little obnoxious, but he just couldn’t contain his excitement – not when he was travelling to Japan with his Yuuri. It took him a while to notice that the other man wasn’t nearly as excited as he was.

First, he wrote it off as nerves – maybe Yuuri was a nervous flyer, who knew. When it seemed to get worse even after take-off though, he realised that maybe it was something else. The other man had ignored most of what he’d been saying – in fact, he wasn’t actually sure any of it had registered with his companion.

Touching him did the trick… except moments later he practically fled to the toilet.

Victor was fairly certain it was Yuuri’s anxiety, but he wasn’t sure what had triggered it – or indeed, how to help him. He cursed the fact that Makka wasn’t with him – she was safely tucked away in a luxurious doggy crate on a lower level of the plane.

That left him with preciously few options – Victor wasn’t good at dealing with other people’s feelings at the best of times, and of all the times he’d been faced with someone who was upset, this was the most important one – he was terrified of alienating the skater.

Of course, watching him dash off like that wasn’t exactly a great feeling either. Before he could contemplate that though, a stewardess stopped by their little booth, flicking her dark blonde hair over her shoulder.

“Hi there! Mr. Nikiforov, right? Are you enjoying your flight?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Can I… get you anything?” She smiled brightly, and after a moment it clicked what was happening. She was flirting.

“No, thank you.” He replied, mildly surprised that he hadn’t picked up on it immediately… and how completely uninterested he was. All he could think about was Yuuri, still in the bathroom.

“Are you sure? I’d love to make your flight more comfortable.” 

Smiling weakly and without replying, he stood and walked past her to the small bathroom, gently knocking on the door.

“Yuuri?”

When no reply came, he repeated his question a little louder. He could hear a quiet sniffle and some shuffling before the door was opened quite quickly and he came face to face with the skater. He didn’t look like he’d been crying per se, but he didn’t look too well either.

“Are you okay?” He asked, still unsure why the other man was quite so… out of it.

“Mh. I’m fine. You didn’t have to come here.” Yuuri mumbled.

“No, it’s okay. Besides, I was just dodging a flirty flight attendant anyway. She wouldn’t get the hint that I wasn’t interested.”

To his surprise, Yuuri flinched at his words and lowered his head.

“…Oh? The… the brunette one?”

Victor blinked.

“I’m… not sure? I don’t remember.” He really didn’t – who cared about her hair anyway.

“Do you want to go back to our seat?” He offered, pleased when a sniffling Yuuri nodded and followed him back to the seat. Sat down in the comfortable leather seat, Yuuri looked much more comfortable.

Struck with a sudden idea, he pressed the Service button on the middle console and waited for a stewardess to appear.

He realised his mistake when the uniformed blonde sashayed over. He put on a polite smile, much as it displeased him that she didn’t so much as look at Yuuri.

“Could we have some blankets, please?” 

“Of course! Anything else I can get you, dear?” Her tone was so obviously overly sweet, he struggled to keep his smile up. Had he really enjoyed the company of women like her before? It seemed so pointless.

“That’s all, thank you.”

Thankfully, she walked away – a glance at Yuuri revealed that he’d figured it out. Of course, he had. Suddenly quite panicky, he tried to come up with a way to reassure him that he hadn’t been flirting with her at all and that he really wasn’t interested.

He all too vividly remembered the expression that had crossed Yuuri’s face at their first lunch together, when that girl had sent him nudes. No, never again, he’d sworn himself.

Of course, as luck would have it, the stewardess returned mere seconds later, and well before he could so much as form a decent sentence to explain what was happening. He hurried to stand and take the blankets from the woman, when he noticed that Yuuri was grinning, just a little.

She looked as confused as he felt – there was a strangely determined expression in Yuuri’s face. Victor was sure he was missing something… he just had no idea what.


	64. Chapter 64

Yuuri had reached a fairly familiar stage of his anxiety – the point where everything had gotten so jumbled up that he didn’t have it in him to care anymore. He wasn’t actually sure how he felt as he tried to calm his breathing in the bathroom – just that he wanted to be absolutely anywhere else.

Victor’s knock on the door only made it worse – he didn’t want to be the kind of anxious mess that he, well, was. 

Seeing Victor standing there, concern evident on his face made him feel like he could breathe again. He fought the urge to just wrap his arms around the man and tried to listen to what he was saying – he’d really preferred he hadn’t done that.

Hearing that a stewardess had hit on Victor… well, it wasn’t surprising. They were all beautiful, but especially the blonde one – he’d really hoped it wasn’t her.

Sitting down again had made him feel a little safer, a little less like everything was bent out of shape, right up until the obviously flirty flight attendant had appeared. It was the beautiful one – tall, slim and undeniably gorgeous. Yuuri really, really didn’t like her.

Seeing her fawn over Victor was unpleasant to say the least – watching her walk away and Victor watching her do so… it went from too much to Too Much in a heartbeat. He’d had enough of the looks, the discomfort, the feeling of not belonging.

He’d had enough of Victor being oblivious to it because he was too busy gushing about how nice their seats were. The man had immediately jumped up and grabbed the blankets from the woman. He’d put one in his own seat and shaken the other one out before folding it in half and laying it across Yuuri’s lap, covering his legs.

It was thoughtful, and it did make Yuuri feel a little better, but it wasn’t what he wanted, not just yet. As Victor bent down to tuck the blanket in a little, almost without him noticing, his hand shot out and grabbed Victor by the front of his shirt.

He mumbled a quick thank you before yanking the Russian closer and sealing their lips together in a kiss. He’d almost expected resistance, but there was none – just Victor humming quietly and kissing him back.

Something in Yuuri’s mind just… clicked into place.


	65. Chapter 65

Victor was absolutely sure he was still missing something – he just didn’t care anymore. He’d obviously noticed Yuuri’s discomfort, but thanks to his own awkwardness when it came to reassuring people, he hadn’t exactly been able to help that.

Yuuri reaching for him, pulling him in unexpectedly… he hadn’t expected the kiss, but he was absolutely loving it. The plane, the uncomfortable position, nothing mattered as Yuuri pressed his soft lips to Victor’s.

He instinctively relaxed into it, leaning against Yuuri. He’d have fallen if the other man hadn’t kept him steady – then, with a sigh, Yuuri opened his mouth and the kiss deepened. Victor was hardly new to making out in a plane – or, for that matter, to having sex on a plane – but just kissing Yuuri felt new.

He vaguely heard a squeak – the stewardess, his mind supplied helpfully. He couldn’t have cared less.

He grasped Yuuri’s shoulder to stop himself from falling over, pleased when he felt the other man tremble a little under his touch.

It was Yuuri who broke the kiss by tilting his head down. Victor slowly opened his eyes, leaning back enough to give Yuuri a bit of space, at least.

“I’ve decided.” The skater quietly said.

“Uh… decided what?” He whispered back, still leaning over Yuuri.

The other man didn’t reply and he straightened up, realising that his back hurt a little from the awkward position. Slightly wobbly and fairly turned on he wobbled over to his seat and sat, blanket on his lap.

He had absolutely no idea what had just happened but… but Yuuri was smiling. He didn’t look so down-trodden anymore, and that was really all that Victor had wanted. Idly playing on his phone, he kept watch for a while – Yuuri cuddled down under the blanket and flattened his seat, content to take a nap, apparently.

Victor decided to give the flat screen mounted before their seats a try. Each set of two seats had their own TV and, Bluetooth headphones synced up, he settled in to watch the latest Marvel movie, only peeking over at Yuuri every ten minutes or so.

Maybe every two or three, if he was being truthful. He wasn’t paying much attention to the film at all.


	66. Chapter 66

Yuuri woke to the familiar rumble of a plane deploying its landing gear – he had no idea how he’d slept through the entire flight, long as it was, but the screen in front of him indicated where they were well enough – final descent.

Yawning awkwardly, he looked over to Victor – the other man was asleep too. Apparently, at some point one of the two had reached across the middle console – their hands were entwined. Careful to shuffle his blanket off without letting go, he looked at Victor.

The man was beautiful asleep, his face relaxed and tucked against the seat. If it wasn’t for the middle console, he didn’t doubt that they would have laid much closer.

That sounded… nice.

He still felt tired – not from lack of sleep, he’d had more than enough of that, but because of the emotional turmoil, he’d gone through during the first part of their trip… and the days and weeks before that, if he was honest.

Now he felt like he did after a run, muscles tired and strained, breathing hard… except it was all mental and emotional strain. Looking past Victor out the little window, he could easily make out the familiar outline of Kyushu – leaning up from his seat, he even thought he could make out the airport.

Shifting up from the seat – still without letting go of Victor’s hand – he knelt on the edge of the other one to get a better look. The seats were wide enough to accommodate him, if barely. Thus closer to the window, he looked for familiar landmarks. Sadly there wasn’t much in that regard – Tokyo was a lot more memorable when it came to things like that.  
Still, the closer the plane got to the ground, the more real it all felt – he was really on that plane, with Victor, about to see his family. 

A moment later, the world shifted and he found himself pressed to a solid chest. A mostly-asleep Victor had yanked him down into the limited space of the seat. It wasn’t big enough to accommodate them both comfortably, so it wasn’t exactly ideal, but… Yuuri wasn’t fixing to get away either.

Settling on the man’s chest, he smiled. Kissing him had been reckless – they’d never discussed whether or not Victor wanted to publicly admit what was between them… nor had they discussed exactly what was between them.

He’d done it out of jealousy and because (not so) deep down he knew it would make him feel better – it always seemed to, at least. He hadn’t been wrong this time either, and that had led him to a realisation.

Holding his breath to listen to Victor’s heartbeat, Yuuri’s grin widened. He’d spent so much time worrying about Victor leaving, about how he’d lose interest, how he’d get bored, how he wouldn’t want to really be with him, that he’d forgotten about something incredibly important;

He didn’t want Victor to leave.

He liked the man. He liked how he made him feel about himself, how he felt looking at Victor. He liked kissing him and sleeping next to him.

Yuuri liked all of it, and while wondering about just when he was going to disappear from this life again, Yuuri hadn’t spent a moment thinking about what he could do to stop that. He had taken it as an impending inevitability at first, but that awkward kiss had reminded him of something – the popular saying ‘It takes two to tango’.

He had his own voice in what was happening, and he could well try to… well, he could try to keep Victor by his side. He wanted him there, and he wasn’t about to let fear of what might happen paralyse him.

Well, at least not any longer. Arm across Victor’s chest, he allowed himself to relax – they would land soon enough.


	67. Chapter 67

Victor woke up the sound of someone clearing their throat. He looked around for a few moments before finding the source of the noise – a stewardess.

Not the same one as before – this one was Asian, Japanese probably. He hadn’t seen her before. She was also lightly blushing and it took him a moment to figure out why – Yuuri. The stewardess motioned for him to put his seat into an upright position and he nodded, all the while mentally squealing just a little.

He wasn’t alone. Cramped as it was, Yuuri was curled against his chest, half on top of him. He had no memory of Yuuri coming over, nor had he immediately noticed the weight on his chest but… gulping, he ran his hand through the sleeping man’s hair, pleased by how soft it was.

A moment later, Yuuri lifted his head and smiled softly. Had he… not been sleeping?

“Uh…” He stuttered instead of coherent words.

“We should probably sit normally.” Yuuri said before gracefully getting up. Really, he was more graceful climbing off Victor than Victor was getting off his own seat. He watched as if in a trance as Yuuri sat down in his own seat and put the seatbelt on.

Mechanically, he mimicked the action, all the while wondering what in the world was going on. Had he… was he dreaming? In some alternative universe where Yuuri just… wanted to be close to him?

The distinct thump of the plane landing a few short minutes later tore him from his thoughts. He was probably not dreaming – the shaking and the sensation of his ears popping at least didn’t FEEL like a dream.

By the time they were deplaning and entering the airport, he’d pretty much accepted that Yuuri had in fact chosen to cuddle with him. He wasn’t complaining – he just wanted to know what had prompted it so he could do it again as soon as possible.

He didn’t exactly have much of an opportunity to ask about it – between passport and visa checks, having his picture taken for said visa and then picking up their luggage as well as claiming back an excited Makka, he was just glad he didn’t lose track of the other man.

He’d pre-booked a car for them at a rental place at the airport. With most of the instructions in Japanese, he simply gave the man his phone after a few seconds of helplessly trying to figure out the signs in front of him. Yuuri seemed all too happy to lead the way on their short walk to the rental place.

Victor busied himself by pushing their rather full luggage cart after the other man, relieved when they reached the place. He’d booked an SUV to make sure they’d have enough space for their things and Makka – the attendant offered them a black Audi Q7.

Fishing for his wallet and his license, he was relieved that they were about to embark on the last leg of their trip. 

“I’m sorry sir, that won’t work.”

“…Huh?”


	68. Chapter 68

“What do you mean my license isn’t valid in Japan?” Victor asked, completely baffled. Yuuri, who had been doing most of the talking blinked in confusion – he’d been petting Makka instead of paying attention.

The attendant seemed to struggle to answer, so he asked her for an explanation in Japanese.

“Ah! Thank you! The gentleman’s license is only valid in America. He doesn’t have an IDP, unfortunately. I’m afraid I won’t be able to rent him a car. I’m very sorry for the inconvenience.”

Yuuri groaned – he hadn’t realised.

That was… inconvenient.

“Would it be possible to transfer the reservation to me instead? I have a Japanese license.” He pulled it out and handed it to the lady who accepted it with a slight bow.

“Yes, of course. I’ll take care of that for you in just a minute. Please fill out this form.” He took the piece of paper and scanned it – a standard rental agreement.

“Yuuri?” A very confused Victor asked.

“Ah, sorry. You don’t have an international license. I gave her mine instead. Is that okay with you?” It hadn’t even occurred to him to ask. To his relief, Victor nodded.

“Of course. Is it okay with you? I didn’t know you drove.”

Truthfully, he didn’t. It made his anxiety worse. He avoided it where possible. Easy enough, thanks to public transport.

“Not much, but I learned.” Victor seemed satisfied with his answer so he focused on filling out the form. It didn’t take long at all, and in just a few minutes, they found themselves standing on the third floor of a parking garage, in front of their car.

Heart beating a little faster, Yuuri helped Victor load the car before slipping into the driver’s seat – it had been a while.

Years actually.

Thankfully, the car was an automatic – although he knew how to drive a stick, he preferred automatics. Pulling out of the parking spot and subsequently, the garage was nerve-wracking – he drove slowly, afraid of accidentally hitting something. The car was much bigger than he was used to after all.

Still, it went fine and before long, they were on a course to Yuuri’s hometown. It was a little over an hour’s drive and most of it was down a straight country road – they spent the trip in silence. Pleasant silence – not the awkward kind Yuuri had feared. Victor seemed content to look out the window, while Yuuri busied himself… thinking.

About his family mostly – they didn’t know he was coming after all, and he had no idea how to play that. Ultimately, he decided to do what he always did when he wasn’t sure what to do – he decided to head to Minako’s.

His old teacher almost always had advice for him… as long as she wasn’t drunk. Glancing at the clock revealed that it was just four in the afternoon – he had a decent chance, then. She usually taught classes until seven.


	69. Chapter 69

Victor wasn’t nervous often. Not a lot of situations scared or worried him after all, so it wasn’t an overly familiar sensation. Still, sitting next to Yuuri without even having to focus on the road as the driver… he was terrified.

He was about to meet Yuuri’s family. His parents, his sister. Vicchan the dog. He’d never really met anyone’s parents before – well, at least not a romantic partner’s. He knew nothing about Yuuri’s family and now it was too late to ask.

Would they know who he was? Would they approve? How would Yuuri introduce him? He was well aware that they weren’t in a relationship (yet, thank you very much), but where did that leave them?

Glancing over at Yuuri, he was once again struck by how attractive the Japanese man was. He seemed strangely… mature, somehow, in a way that Victor hadn’t expected to find attractive. He gulped – who knew that he liked being chauffeured around?

He’d been annoyed about the license issue – he hadn’t thought about it at all. They’d been lucky Yuuri had a Japanese license, all things considered. Riding a cab to Hasetsu would no doubt have been annoying, not to mention limited them in the city…

He sighed.

Worrying this much really wasn’t like him. Now, focusing on how good Yuuri looked, that was more his thing. Thankfully, it was also incredibly easy.

“We’ll be there soon. Are you hungry?” Yuuri asked, interrupting his train of thought.

“Very. How about you?”

To his surprise, Yuuri grinned broadly.

“Very. I’ll ask my mother to make Katsudon. You’ll love it, it’s the best. I’m not allowed it during competitive season unless I win something.”

“Wow! I look forward to it.”

“If it’s okay with you, I’d like to stop by my ballet teacher’s studio first?”

“Anything you’d like.”

After a long moment of silence, Victor cleared his throat.

“Are you looking forward to seeing them again? Your family.”

“Very. It was… I’m really grateful to you for doing this. I know I may not have shown it, but… I really appreciate it.”

Beaming with happiness at Yuuri’s words, Victor relaxed a little into his seat. They were about to approach what appeared to be a small town. He could just make out the ocean beyond it – it had to be Hasetsu.

While he couldn’t exactly read any of the signs there, it was fairly obvious that they had reached their destination. It was smaller than he’d expected, but it still took them several minutes to get to their goal – at least, that was what Victor assumed when Yuuri parked the car in one of the many empty spots on the road.

Indeed, the other man got out. Grabbing Makka, he followed him – his poodle was eager to sniff everything in sight, while Yuuri beelined for his destination – a staircase on what looked like a fairly plain block of flats.

He followed the other man upstairs to the second floor where Yuuri hesitantly knocked on a door – then again when no answer came. Was his friend not home?


	70. Chapter 70

As always, Minako took her sweet time in opening the door. When she did… well, it was a relief to see her again. Watching her go from surprise to confusion to happiness was wonderful, and moments later he found himself yanked inside and hugged, all the while his teacher was excitedly babbling… something.

She did, apparently, have a few drinks before they got there – he could smell it. It explained why she was quite so exuberant. By the time she’d finally calmed down, Yuuri was feeling quite emotional as well – he had missed her.

“Ah, Minako-sensei, there’s someone you should meet.” He said, in English. He knew she spoke it, though she was visibly confused as to why he did. 

“Huh? Did you find yourself a boy in Detroit?”

Cringing at the blunt question, he shrugged. “This, ah, this is my friend Victor Nikiforov.” He turned towards the Russian who was smiling politely in the doorframe.

“Oh. My. God.” Minako practically screeched before dashing off – moments later, she returned with… her phone?

“Hi, I’m Minako! I used to be Yuuri’s ballet teacher! I follow you on Instagram! I’m a huge fan!” She thrust out her phone – was she really showing him that she followed him?

Victor pulled out his phone as well.

“It’s nice to meet you! There, I followed you back.” Based on Minako’s reaction, he guessed that that was a big deal – he didn’t really get all of that. Moments later, Minako was calling someone – Mari. Before he could get a word in edgewise, Minako had already told Mari that Victor Nikiforov was at her studio.

He really wasn’t sure whether to laugh or be offended – his teacher hadn’t even mentioned that he too, was there. 

“Yuuri! Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back! And that you were bringing a guest!”

He shrugged lightly. “It… was a surprise? I haven’t told my family yet either. I’m here… here for Mari’s birthday.”

Minako nodded.

“What a good little brother!” Smiling at his teacher’s antics, he motioned Victor to come inside – no doubt his sister would be along shortly, and he didn’t want to disturb the neighbours. Not a second too soon – his sister burst in without knocking less than a minute later.


	71. Chapter 71

Victor wasn’t sure what he’d expected Yuuri’s sister to be like. Like him, probably. Calm, fairly quiet, and beautiful. Well… although she certainly wasn’t unattractive, she was nothing like what he had expected.

Of course, he still did his very best to charm her – she was Yuuri’s family after all. Besides, after the shock of meeting Minako, he wasn’t so easily phased. Yuuri had mentioned that she was older than his mother, yet she looked to be his age – he HAD to find out her beauty regime.

He aspired to look half that good at her age, really.

Meeting Mari was… interesting. She was excited to meet him, insisted on taking a selfie, and then, as if a switch had been flipped, lost all interest in him, and instead started to talk to Yuuri in rapid-fire Japanese. He didn’t understand a single word.

Helpless as he was, he decided to pet Makka instead. The poodle was taking a nap by the door, yet seemed perfectly happy to be petted by him, thankfully. Yuuri, meanwhile, looked a little uncomfortable, talking to his sister – to the point where he considered butting in, just to make sure Yuuri is okay.

“Don’t.”

“Sorry?”

“You’re thinking about interrupting. Don’t. He needs to hear this.” 

Glancing at Minako, he decided to follow her advice.

“What are they saying?”

“She’s scolding him for not coming home more. Not staying in contact more. For… well, it’s a siblings thing. Mari, she’s always loved Yuuri a lot. This is just her way of showing it.”

“I… see.”

“Only child?”

“Yes.”

Minako nodded.

“Well, that explains it. I’ve known these two since they were born.”

“Yuuri said. You used to teach him ballet?”

“That’s right.”

“He’s a wonderful dancer.” Victor remarked, remembering their dance back when they’d first met… months ago. Time really had moved quickly.

“Oh, he’s always had talent. It’s his anxiety that gets him. Speaking of that… he said you were his friend, but that’s not it, is it?”

A little shocked by the woman’s bluntness, he shook his head.

“We haven’t talked about what we are. We just… I love him. We’re figuring things out.” He confessed, feeling oddly self-conscious.

“I see.”

“Could I ask you for some advice?”

“Mh?”

“Is there… I want to impress his parents? What do I need to say? Or do?”

Minako chuckled.

“Is that your dog?” She pointed at Makka, who excitedly wagged her tail.

“Yes. Her name is Makkachin.”

To his confusion, Minako sighed and then chuckled.

“Don’t worry, they’ll LOVE you.”


	72. Chapter 72

Yuuri’s family… loved Victor.

Mari had given him the reception he’d expected – a lecture. He’d happily subjected himself to it though – he’d missed her. He hadn’t realised how much, not until she finally tired out and asked him how he was doing.

It hit him just what kind of gift Victor had given him. He had to fight the urge to run over and hug him, instead focusing on his sister. Minako seemed content chatting to the Russian, so he didn’t think much of it.

Not until they reached the onsen half an hour or so later. Surprising his parents was… it was great. His mother nearly fell out of her slippers and his father dropped an empty beer bottle. Moments later, he was hugging them, tightly, tears stinging in his eyes.

He’d missed them more than he’d expected.

Introductions had gone smoothly – his mother had dashed off to make katsudon immediately, while his father had urged them to the common area. Victor and Makka had somehow managed to fit right in, not out of place in the least – despite the man’s exotic looks.

Vicchan had, after some shyness about the much larger Makka, approached them as well, had greeted Yuuri and immediately taken to napping next to the bigger poodle.

Yuuri’s father and sister were happily chatting to Victor as he watched quietly, taking it in. It seemed almost like Victor fit into his childhood home just like he fit into Yuuri’s arms – perfectly. It made no sense, but it was also right before his eyes – he couldn’t exactly deny it.

When his mother rejoined them, a tray filled with bowls of katsudon, he briefly forgot all about his contemplations, too keen on shovelling down his favourite dish to care about much else. That had lasted about two minutes as it was then that he caught a pair of chopsticks other than his own in said bowl.

Victor’s.

The man was… giving him another slice of the fillet? With a wink, Victor dropped the meat in his bowl and resumed eating, all the while assuring his mother how delicious it was. His mother looked quite… well, fond of Victor. She shot him a quick reassuring smile with a small nod before focusing back on the conversation at hand.

Yuuri was probably, maybe, going to have to marry Victor. Between his parents liking him and him willingly sharing katsudon… did he really have a choice?


	73. Chapter 73

By the time Victor fell into his futon, he was dead exhausted. Meeting Yuuri’s family had been great, sitting with them, chatting for hours, but between that and the plane, the drive… he’d had a long day. The futon Yuuri had given him was surprisingly soft, pleasant to lay in. Makka seemed to enjoy him sleeping on her level too if the happy tail wagging was anything to go by.

The only thing he was missing was Yuuri. The man had gone to his room a little while ago and he hadn’t come back. Victor had planned on staying up, waiting for him to come back, but ultimately, the beckoning of the futon had been too strong to resist.

He’d just been drifting off to sleep when something woke him again – the sliding door to his room opened. Even in the almost complete darkness of the room, he could make out Yuuri’s form easily.

“Yuuri?”

“Hi. Did I wake you up?”

“Uh, not really. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Do you want to come to the hot springs with me?”

Victor gulped.

“At… at night?”

“Why not?”

“Is that even allowed?”

Victor felt like an idiot for even asking – Yuuri’s parents OWNED the place.

“Sure. So, do you want to?”

“Yes, yes of course. Let me get my swimming trunks and-” To his surprise, Yuuri chuckled at his words.

“Victor, we don’t wear clothes in the hot spring.”

Oh.

“Oh.”

Dumbly, he followed Yuuri through the dark corridors – he would have preferred some form of light, but Yuuri clearly knew every step he was taking. Following him eagerly, he tried to ignore the mental images his mind was trying to shove onto him.

Yuuri naked. Yuuri wet. Yuuri…

He cleared his throat. They’d reached what looked like a changing room, and Yuuri was already slipping out of his clothes. Victor was sure there was some sort of etiquette on this. He probably wasn’t supposed to stare.

Definitely not.

Hastily yanking off his own clothes, he followed the other man to a large shower area while Yuuri explained how it all worked. They sat on the tiny stools there and washed – it was unusual, but not altogether unpleasant.

“Would you like me to wash your back?”

Victor gulped – he was probably imagining it, but Yuuri’s voice sounded… almost like a purr? Was he dreaming?

“Please.” He managed to choke out before turning his back to the other man. Moments later, a soft sponge started gently rubbing across his back and shoulders. There was nothing particularly… suggestive about it, but he could feel himself blushing in the mostly dark shower room. Yuuri hadn’t bothered turning the light on here either – it was eerie.

After a few moments, Yuuri was done and the sponge disappeared.

“Now do me.”

Shivering, Victor decided he couldn’t be imagining it. There was no WAY he was imagining it. Turning around, he found that Yuuri was turned away from him, the sponge innocently sitting by his side. He picked it up and started, mimicking the same motions Yuuri had used.

“I’m not too rough, am I?” He checked after a few seconds.

Yuuri chuckled. 

“Don’t worry, I like it rough.”

Victor was going to die.


	74. Chapter 74

Sitting there, with Victor washing his back, Yuuri did his best to stay calm. It was just a bath – sure, he’d invited the Russian to seduce him, but he hadn’t even GOTTEN to the seducing part yet and his heart was racing in his chest.

He’d deliberately waited for the sun to set, knowing full well it would be easier in the relative darkness. It was easier to be confident that way – Victor hadn’t complained, thankfully. He was almost relieved when Victor set the sponge down… Yuuri had plans after all.

“Shall we go outside?”

“Uhuh.”

Victor sounded a little breathless – good. So Yuuri wasn’t the only one who was affected.

He led the Russian outside to the steaming spring and stepped into the water. The familiar warmth felt good – he hadn’t been in a hot spring in a long time. He’d missed it.

Sighing in relief as he reached the deepest point – he was submerged to just below his pecs – he turned to look at Victor.

The other man was watching him, just a few steps behind him. The half-light of the moon and the stars looked eerie on his bright hair and skin – he was beautiful. Suddenly not so sure of himself anymore, he sat down in his favourite spot at the far end of the shallow pool. It was just the same as he remembered it – except maybe a little better, what with Victor there with him. The man had settled next to him – a respectable distance away.

Yuuri allowed himself to relax… and to ogle the other man a little.

“How do you like the hot springs?” He eventually asked, breaking the comfortable silence between them.

“The hot water feels fantastic after the trip we had.”

“Mh, doesn’t it? I come here whenever I’m home. It’s just so nice.”

“Are you… glad to be back?”

Yuuri smiled softly and turned his body towards Victor.

“Very. Thank you.”

The other man was blushing faintly – he wasn’t sure if it was because of the water temperature or because of something… else. He rather hoped it was the latter. Shifting a little closer, he noticed the colour on Victor’s cheeks darkening. 

Jackpot.

“What, uh, are our plans while we’re here?”

“Plans? Well… we have to keep up your training of course. I figured if you’d like, I’ll show you around Hasetsu. Was there something, in particular, you wanted to do or see?”

Victor coughed lightly while Yuuri internally cheered – who would have thought it would be so much… fun to flirt like this? Seeing Victor off his game was intoxicating.

“I, I’m not sure? Right now? I’m a little distracted?”

Taking a deep breath, Yuuri shifted even closer to the other man, until they were just barely not touching.

“Oh?”


	75. Chapter 75

Victor was having a hard time sitting still. Yuuri was… well, it was clear what he was doing… probably? What Victor didn’t know was WHY he was doing it. Yuuri had made his feelings perfectly clear – he was ambivalent at best.

Why was he now so openly…flirting?

And how did he want Victor to react to it?

The most obvious answer would have been to just jump him, but as it was, the hot water made very sure that he, well… couldn’t. Did Yuuri just want to tease him, torture him? It didn’t really seem like him, but then, did he really know?

Gently, testing the proverbial waters, he moved his leg, brushing his thigh against Yuuri’s. No protest came – quite the opposite. Yuuri’s hand settled low on his thigh, just above his knee. It felt impossibly hotter than the water did, and it made his heart skip a beat.

Well, at least now he knew for sure that Yuuri was, in fact, flirting with him.

Wow.

“Victor?” 

Yuuri asked, grinning in the moonlight.

“Mh?”

“I asked why you were distracted?”

He resisted the urge to huff – he wouldn’t be baited that easily.

Yeah right.

“Because there is an incredibly beautiful man sitting almost close enough to me right now?” He was pleased when Yuuri paused for a moment – it seemed the man wasn’t as unflappable as he was acting. That was… reassuring.

“Almost close enough? What would be close enough then?”

Breath hitching, he reached for Yuuri’s hand and tugged lightly.

“Come here and I’ll show you?”

He almost expected the other man to refuse. He could see the hesitation in his eyes, the doubt. It lasted only for a moment, then Yuuri let him pull him from his seat. 

Victor easily pulled him forwards and, before he could think about whether it was too much, pulled Yuuri into his lap. Yuuri easily straddled his legs, hands landing on his shoulders for balance, his own sitting on Yuuri’s hips.

It was perfect. The weight of the other man on him felt… right.

Hands clenching on Yuuri just a little, he looked up to where Yuuri was above him now. He was well used to being the taller one – this viewpoint… it was as novel as it was arousing. He was almost glad for the hot water. At least that way he couldn’t embarrass himself in front of the other man.

Shuddering lightly when Yuuri dug his fingers harder into his shoulders, he was quite pleased when the other man pulled himself closer, spreading his legs impossibly wider.

Skater.

Victor had forgotten.

Wow.

Their chests were nearly touching and Victor was having a hard time staying calm – Yuuri, his Yuuri, was… well, responding to him. Acting like maybe his feelings weren’t one-sided after all.

It was an intoxicating feeling.

Gently running his hands up and down Yuuri’s back, he contemplated his next move – he’d already pushed, didn’t want to take it much further in fear of spooking Yuuri.


	76. Chapter 76

Looking down at Victor’s face, the awestruck expression there immediately eased the panic he’d felt when Victor had just unceremoniously pulled him into his lap. He squashed the urge to bolt and instead decided to keep going.

Gently, he ran his fingers through Victor’s hair, tilting his head up. It was easy to angle him just right for a kiss.

Kissing Victor felt as good as it always did. It was a deep, slow kiss that made his toes curl. He was glad that Victor had his arms around him – he was worried he might float away otherwise. The kiss grew more heated, Yuuri shuffling closer and closer until their chests were touching. He was pleased when Victor’s only reaction was a stifled moan.

The water made sure that neither of them had to worry about things progressing too far – he really hoped that that would ultimately make it, well, easier for the straight man to accept him being a man. Well, the way he was kissing Yuuri actually went a long way in reassuring him of that as well.

He had no idea for how long they kissed like that, but after a while, Yuuri felt himself getting dizzy. The cold air, the hot water… it was a lot.

Reluctantly breaking the kiss, he leaned back to put some distance between them.

“We… should get out of the water, probably. I’m feeling quite dizzy.”

He awkwardly got off Victor’s lap, distantly aware that the man whispered something he couldn’t understand, and moments later they were both stumbling out of the water back inside.

Yuuri had worn a robe anyway, but he tossed Victor one of the guest robes as well, not wanting to bother with normal clothes. The man shrugged into it readily, and moments later, they were stumbling through the dark back to his room.

Well, Victor’s room. He decided at the last moment that it was a much better choice – bigger, less cramped, further from his parents’ and sister’s rooms. Also, much closer. He practically shoved Victor into the room and slammed the door shut behind them, startling Makka.

He didn’t care.

Victor pulled him against himself as soon as the door was closed, practically smashing their mouths together in another kiss. He was vaguely aware of being pulled down, then they were both laying on top of the futon, Victor half on top of him.

Yuuri hadn’t been with anyone in a while. A long while, actually. There wasn’t much time in between competitions, and he wasn’t one for one-night stands… he hadn’t felt the solid body of a man above him in a long time… and he’d never been with anyone as attractive as Victor. That in and of itself was enough to make his head spin.

Then Victor trailed his hand down his chest, his stomach, hesitating only when he reached the tie of his robe. He was wearing his boxers underneath, and whatever Victor was thinking, he hesitated at most for a second before starting to fiddle with the belt. Yuuri had tied it properly – the other man wasn’t about to be able to open it with one hand.

Well, Victor seemed to come to the same conclusion moments later when with a frustrated groan he shifted, yanking Yuuri up and rolling them until Yuuri was sitting on his stomach, Victor on his back underneath him.

The position was unexpected, but Yuuri didn’t mind – not when, with trembling fingers, Victor started pulling on the knot of his robe a moment later. Yuuri would have helped him had he not been busy enjoying the view so much.

Victor succeeded with relative ease and immediately proceeded to run his hands up Yuuri’s sides. He shivered lightly, captivated by the way the older man looked up at him – his expression was equal parts admiration and pure hunger.


	77. Chapter 77

Victor was fairly certain he was asleep and just having a wet dream. It really was the only way he could see Yuuri sitting on him like that, half-naked, and letting Victor touch him. The man’s body – solid muscle with just a little bit of squish to round it out – felt so warm under his hands. The firm pressure of his thighs along his sides gave him all sorts of ideas – ideas that required less clothing.

He tried to sit up enough to be able to get out of his own clothes, but Yuuri held him down easily, before shrugging out of his robe entirely. He moved his hands lower, resting them on Yuuri’s hips. The man looked beautiful above him, in the half-darkness of the room. His eyes had long since adjusted to the low light, so he could make things out well enough – including the slight hesitation in the skater’s eyes.

“You’re so beautiful.” He whispered to his partner, hoping that it would reassure him. He wasn’t sure how much he succeeded, but Yuuri bent down to kiss him again, so he figured it was good enough. He barely felt it when Yuuri shuffled back a little, at least until he sat back down – straight on his erection.

Victor gave a startled moan – even through the remaining layers of clothing, the contact felt electric. He could see that Yuuri wasn’t quite as…into it as he was just yet, but he was fully planning on changing that – assuming he could keep it together long enough.

“Yuuri…” He mumbled, unsure how to proceed – they hadn’t spoken about any of this, and he was terrified of doing something wrong. 

“Have you thought this through, Victor?”

Had he?

“I love you, Yuuri.”

It wasn’t the answer the other man wanted, but it was the best one he had. He wasn’t exactly in the mood for any deep discussions of what he had and hadn’t thought about. He just wanted to… do.

Preferably, Yuuri.

To his immense disappointment, Yuuri sighed and got off him. He almost worried it was over when the other man stretched out along his side and brushed his hand over his robe. Yuuri had no trouble at all undoing his own belt with one hand (and wasn’t it unfair that he managed to somehow still be so smooth?) and brushing aside the robe.

Yuuri’s hand running along his chest and his stomach felt divine. As it was travelling lower and lower, he remembered something – unlike Yuuri, he hadn’t bothered with pants. The skater’s hand hesitated just as his fingers brushed over his bare hipbone – of course, he wasn’t about to stop Yuuri.

After a satisfying gasp from the other man, the hand inched lower – not touching his erection directly, but brushing lower until it was resting on his thigh. Victor knew he was taller, but it seemed like the height difference was barely there at all what with the way Yuuri easily pressed himself against his body, his face against Victor’s neck.

Soft kisses there turned to nibbles and the occasional harder bite, all the while his hand stayed maddeningly still. He tried hard not to tremble under Yuuri – with little success.

Moaning softly, after a nibble to a particularly sensitive spot, he realised something – he wasn’t exactly an active participant at the moment.

That wouldn’t do at all.


	78. Chapter 78

Yuuri had, for some reason, expected Victor to be wearing underwear. He was not. The discovery threw him a little – while he had absolutely expected to get the man out of said underwear, the discovery that he hadn’t been wearing any, to begin with…

Well, he was a fan. It messed with his plan a little, as he had been fully intending to tease Victor through his clothes for a little, but he could work with what he had… or rather, with what Victor had. The Russian was impressive – decently sized, and nicely curved.

Yuuri had done his best not to stare – it really had been a while for him. He decided to continue his intentional plan after all – to tease Victor. Kisses on his neck yielded him the prettiest sighs and shudders, the occasional flutter of his fingers a groan. He loved the open reactions Victor gave even to something as innocent as what they were doing.

He’d have happily continued what he was doing, had it not been for Victor’s sudden change in attitude. In a surprisingly quick move, he found himself rolled on his back, Victor above him. There was a gleam in his eyes that made Yuuri wonder just what sort of beast he had unleashed – of course, he was absolutely along for the ride, no matter what.

“What-” He began, only for Victor to shush him with a kiss. Well then.

“Just… let me?” The Russian mumbled, his eyes darting over Yuuri’s mostly naked form in the relative darkness. He’d feel self-conscious if it wasn’t for the fact that he could feel Victor’s erection against his thigh as the man was leaning over him.

After a moment of contemplation, he seemed to come to some sort of resolution and leaned down. Victor started the same way he had – kisses to Yuuri’s neck. Instead of lingering there, however, he quickly kissed lower, brushing his nose along Yuur’s chest. Having never been with a woman himself, he briefly wondered how different it was for the other man before a playful bite distracted him.

Running his hands through Victor’s soft hair got him a pleased hum as the man kissed lower ever so slowly. Although he felt self-conscious about his stomach and those few extra pounds he never quite seemed to be able to shed, the enthusiasm with which Victor nuzzled his cheek against him certainly helped distract him.

He idly wondered how low Victor would dare to go when his chin brushed against Yuuri’s boxers. By now, he was definitely tenting them – as Victor seemed to realise as well.

“Will you… take them off?” He quietly asked, his fingers just hovering over the soft fabric.

Gulping, Yuuri nodded.

“Why don’t you help me?” He challenged, pleased when Victor chuckled.

“Sure. You’ll have to get up tho-” Before Victor could finish his sentence, Yuuri had lifted his hips high off the futon – skating made him rather flexible.

“Wow!” Victor’s open delight was quite flattering – as was the gasp he gave when he hooked his fingers into Yuuri’s boxers and tugged them down and off. 

Yuuri hadn’t been sure what to expect – what sort of reaction he might get from the other man at seeing him naked and aroused for the first time.


	79. Chapter 79

Victor was, simply put, in awe. Yuuri was beautiful. He’d never really seen the appeal of a cock – they really hadn’t ever been of interest to him. Clearly, that was only because he hadn’t seen Yuuri’s before.

The man was a little smaller than him, and where Victor’s curved almost straight up, Yuuri’s bent to the left a bit. The way it rested against his stomach though… Victor wanted a picture of it. Of Yuuri. Better yet even, a poster.

Gulping, he mirrored what Yuuri had been doing earlier – he ran his fingers down his hip and to his thigh. He wasn’t entirely sure of the protocol here – was he allowed to touch? What was he supposed to touch and how?

Yuuri was watching him, something hard to define in his gaze.

“You’re beautiful.” He managed to choke out, pleased when even in the dark he noticed Yuuri blush. 

Surprisingly, that made knowing what to do much easier.

Sighing softly, he bent down again and pressed a kiss to Yuuri’s stomach. He trailed kisses down the same path his hand had taken just a little while ago, when, to his surprise, a hand cupped his cheek and tilted his head up.

Why was Yuuri stopping him?

“Victor… you know I don’t expect that of you, right? I know you’re… not really into men.”

He huffed – had Yuuri seriously not gotten it yet?

“I AM into you though.”

“Victor…”

“I know what I want, and I know what I can handle.”

Yuuri pushed himself up with his free hand until he was sitting.

Victor found himself pulled up into another kiss – this one was slower than the others, though it was no less arousing for it.

Eventually, he was released, and Yuuri laid back again.

“Can I… I want to get to know you.” He whispered to his partner, relieved when Yuuri nodded. After a moment’s deliberation, he reached out and brushed his finger down Yuuri’s length. It felt quite similar to his own. Gently wrapping his hand around him, he carefully moved his hand up and down a few times.

Although the sensation was similar, the angle was different, and a little awkward. Yuuri didn’t seem to mind if his soft moans were anything to go by. Victor wanted to hear more of those sounds and increased his speed a little.

Yuuri’s reaction was a sigh of his name, and it made Victor all the more bold. He wanted to hear the other man make more of those delicious sounds. He barely hesitated before leaning down and pressing a kiss to the head of Yuuri’s length.

It felt… strange. Not unpleasant, but unfamiliar. He gave a tentative lick, pleased with the shudder it earned him. Yuuri was amazingly responsive, and he couldn’t wait to see just how far he could push that.

Shifting lower on the futon, he shifted his hold and carefully licked along Yuuri’s length, eyes trained up on Yuuri’s face the entire time. He drank in every sigh, every groan, every twitch. After a few more licks and kisses, he decided he wanted to take it further – letting Yuuri slide past his lips came surprisingly easy.

It took him a few moments to get the hang of keeping his teeth away from the velvety length on his tongue before he started to take him deeper. Yuuri’s hands found their way into his hair, holding on tightly. The man made no motion to force his movements though, simply seemed to hold on.

It was the hottest thing Victor had ever seen.

The taste was what he had been most worried about – it didn’t bother him one bit.

Yuuri’s eager reactions were incredibly addictive. He found himself wanting to impress – no doubt, Yuuri had had better, and that just wouldn’t do. He ignored the tickle in the back of his throat and took Yuuri deeper with every motion. His hands were curled on Yuuri’s thigh, holding on to him as much as the skater was holding on to him.

Victor did his best to impress – he tried moving his tongue, using his lips. Yuuri’s hips twitched up a little bit with every motion, his head now thrown back in pleasure.

He’d had sex before of course, but nothing like this – he could feel a connection between them that he’d never experienced before, not with anyone. He hadn’t had any pleasure for himself yet, and it was still hands down the best sex he’d ever had. 

“V-Victor!” Yuuri gasped, his hands tightening in Victor’s hair. He got the message and pulled back, letting Yuuri’s cock slip from his lips. He was surprised by how swollen his mouth felt… and how much he missed the sensation.

He didn’t have too much time to contemplate it all though – a second later, he was yanked up and Yuuri crushed their lips together in a desperate kiss that made his toes curl and a shiver run down his back.


	80. Chapter 80

Victor, Yuuri decided, was absolutely wasted as a straight man. 

His technique wasn’t exactly the best, but the enthusiasm and sheer… well, devotion in the other man’s moves more than made up for it. Victor was also an incredibly fast learner apparently – he didn’t have to so much as give a single instruction to the other man… Victor read him like a book.

In an embarrassingly short time, he felt himself approaching that edge, only barely able to warn him in time. Not entirely unexpectedly, Victor pulled away. Fighting the sting of disappointment, he pulled Victor into a kiss, for as long as he could before he had to breathe.

Pulling back, he admired Victor in front of him. His lips were swollen, his face and chest flushed… it was probably the most arousing thing he’d ever seen, made even better by the fact that the other man was as into things as he was.

Gulping, he tugged Victor up to lie beside him, both on their sides, facing each other. He felt bad for not having touched the other man yet – he wanted him to feel good too. It wasn’t exactly a hardship to run his fingers across Victor’s length and to then pump his hand up and down.

Their position afforded him an up-close view of Victor’s face, allowed him to kiss him as he moved his hand. Victor tried to kiss him as he moved, though he had some difficulty doing so, what with the gasps and moans that escaped him over and over.

Before long, Victor’s hand stopped Yuuri’s motion – he could feel the way the man had tensed up in his fingers. He would have been happy to finish him off… apparently, the Russian had other ideas.

After a few moments of catching his breath, Victor lifted his hand to his mouth and pressed a gentle kiss to it.

“Don’t you… want to go further? I can’t last long like this.” Victor said, his voice more than a little rough.

“What do you mean by further?”

“Well…”

It took a moment for the penny to drop, but when it did, he couldn’t help but chuckle.

“That’s… Victor, no. Not for your first time. We need some materials for that… condoms, lube and all that. Maybe some other time.”

Victor huffed.

“Maybe? No, Yuuri, DEFINITELY some other time.”

Suppressing the stupid grin that threatened to spread across his face, he instead shook his head.

“Well, for now… would you like me to show you something else that’s fun?”

Victor perked up immediately and nodded eagerly.

“Then sit up, your back against the wall.”

It took a little bit of manoeuvring until he had Victor in the right position. He eagerly straddled his legs, bringing them as close together as possible.


	81. Chapter 81

Victor had no idea what Yuuri was doing – not until the shorter man matter-of-factly wrapped his hand around their lengths. It was a strange sensation, their erections pressed together like that, but it felt divine.

After a few moments, Yuuri grabbed his hand and wrapped it around their lengths as well – he set the pace, Victor followed it eagerly. His other hand was wrapped around Yuuri’s back, holding him as close as possible.

With Yuuri leaning just a little above him, he was torn – he loved watching Yuuri’s face, the expressions of pleasure there… but the movement of their hands, perfectly in sync, was hypnotic. Yuuri ended up making the decision for him.

His spare hand wrapped around Victor’s neck and pulled him even closer, pressing his forehead against Yuuri’s shoulder. Panting, he stared as their hands moved together, ever faster, gripping just a little bit tighter.

He had no idea how Yuuri could tell, how he knew exactly how Victor liked to be touched, but he did. In an embarrassingly short time, he could feel himself getting close again… and this time, there would be no backing down, he could feel it.

Desperately holding on to Yuuri, he let the pleasure wash over him. He managed to hoarsely cry out Yuuri’s name before he was shuddering his way through a spectacular orgasm, Yuuri’s hand milking him through it.

By the time he released Victor, he was well and truly spent.

Opening his eyes – he hadn’t realised he’d closed them – he saw that Yuuri, like him, was softening. It seemed the skater had finished at the same time he had – a look up into those beautiful brown eyes confirmed it.

Yuuri was leaning against him more heavily, his expression soft and relaxed… and their hands absolutely covered. 

Wrinkling his nose, he fished for the box of tissues that was conveniently enough sitting just within reach. He had no idea if it was Yuuri’s planning or just a coincidence, but he was certainly grateful for it.

Wiping them down with shaking hands wasn’t as easy as he’d hoped – there was a fair bit more mess than he was used to. Yuuri wasn’t much help either – although he didn’t exactly resist, he didn’t help either.

When Victor was satisfied with their state of cleanliness, he tossed the box back in the vague direction it came from and watched in disappointment as Yuuri got off him. He missed the firm weight on his legs as soon as it was gone.

Yuuri practically fell down next to him and was out like a light – Victor couldn’t blame him. He had just enough presence of mind to cover them both with the futon and to wrap his arm around him.

He was well aware that there were things they needed to talk about – several, actually, but they could wait.

Snuggling down against Yuuri’s side, he let sleep overwhelm him.


	82. Chapter 82

Yuuri woke up more well-rested than he could remember being in a very long time. As usual, it took him a few moments to properly come to, to figure out where he was and what had happened. He took a sharp breath as the memories hit him – he’d had sex with Victor.

No, not just sex, spectacular sex.

They hadn’t exactly done anything outrageous or unusual, but the way it had felt… Yuuri had never experienced anything like it. He didn’t even mind that he’d passed out immediately after – waking up cuddling was certainly a good start to his day.

Victor was pressed against his back, the same way he had been before, except this time it felt… well, more intimate. It helped that they were both completely naked, of course. Yuuri was a little surprised that he wasn’t anxious at all – he’d half expected to wake up worried, terrified about how Victor would feel… but he knew.

There was no way the kind of connection he felt the night before was one-sided. He mentally kicked himself a little – he could have given in sooner, could have experienced that sooner. Smiling softly, he squirmed around until he could turn in Victor’s hold.

The Russian didn’t wake up – in fact, he didn’t stir at all.

Tentatively, Yuuri wrapped his arm around Victor, enjoying the soft movement of his sides as he breathed.

Of course, it was at that exact moment that their peaceful moment was interrupted. Victor’s phone rang. Yuuri cursed and quietly fished it out of a pile of clothes – thankfully, it was on his side of the bed. Before he could mute the call though, Victor had plucked the phone from his fingers and accepted the call. He pressed another button and dropped the phone by his head before pulling Yuuri back into a tight hug.

“Victor?” A tinny voice in the phone sounded. Yuuri thought he recognised it.

Clearly, Victor had fallen straight back asleep, so Yuuri picked up the phone instead.

“H-Hi! Is this… Chris Giacometti?”

After an awkward pause, the man on the other end of the call cleared his throat.

“Yes, it is? Yuuri, I’m guessing. Why do you have Victor’s phone?”

“Well, he picked up the call and just fell back asleep? Sorry… I can wake him up if you’d like.”

Chris sighed in a way that Yuuri understood all too well.

“No, that’s fine. I just wanted to check up on him. I haven’t heard from him in a few days. Wanted to ask how his little… sexploration was going.”

“His WHAT?” Yuuri practically screeched into the phone, making Victor wrinkle his nose and bury his face against Yuuri’s back even more.

“Ohoho well you see Victor didn’t know an awful lot about gay sex, so he asked me for help.”

Fighting down a vicious spike of jealousy – he was sure that wasn’t what Chris had meant – he hummed for the man to go on.

“So he bought a frankly ridiculous amount of toys. I don’t know what he bought, but I gave him a referral link, and my bonus from it was HUGE! Anyway, I just figured with how impatient he is, he’d have tried that stuff by now. You’re welcome, by the way.”

“I… uh… he hasn’t? As far as I know? We… I mean we’ve been travelling to Japan all yesterday. I don’t even know when he would have…” Yuuri trailed off, remembering the package that had arrived late at night.

“I think I know when his, uh, things arrived. But he didn’t mention any of it. Nor did he, uh, use any? Yet? As far as I know?”

Yuuri was blushing madly – he wasn’t the sort to discuss that kind of thing with strangers, but somehow Chris’ casual attitude made it a lot easier.

“I see… Well I’m sure he packed some of it. Why don’t you go snooping if you’re curious?”

“What? No, I can’t do that! That’s… private.”

“Yuuri dear, whatever he bought, he bought it to use it with you. I don’t think he’d have a problem with you knowing. In fact, I’m sure of it.”

“But I can’t just…”

“Who knows, maybe you could even use some of it to surprise him.”

That… was actually not the worst idea in the world, he had to admit.

“Why… why did he ask you for help anyway?”

Chris chuckled.

“Ohhh is that jealousy I hear? Don’t worry, it’s nothing shady. He’s not really close with many gay men, so he asked me for help. He’s been asking for advice a lot, actually.”

“Really? He always seems so… spontaneous.”

Chris snorted.

“Oh sure. He can be quite smooth as well… just not with you. Something about you is different. I think it’s great actually. That he… cares. Though I have to say, he can be annoying as all hell.”

Victor? Annoying? Yuuri frowned at the phone.

“He’s not annoying at all.”

“Oh god you two are quite the pair. At the Grand Prix, where you first met him, he was constantly whining about how cool and smooth you were.”

“Erm… me? Are you sure he isn’t confusing me with… anyone else? Literally anyone?”

Chris’ hearty laugh made him grin as well.

“I more or less told him that you’re not exactly a playboy. In one ear, out the other. Well, it seems you two are somehow making it work anyway.”

Yuuri nodded.

“Chris… can I ask you something?”

“Mh?”

“Is he… was he… really straight?”

The other man practically howled with laughter.

“Yes. I’ve known him for a very long time, and I’ve watched him parade around girl after girl. All sorts, all types, a new flavour of the week whenever we spoke, pretty much.”

Yuuri felt his stomach sink – he’d suspected Victor had been a playboy but…

After a few moments of silence, Chris continued in a more serious tone.

“But Yuuri, listen to me. He may have been straight and all that, but I can assure you, he’s serious about you.”

“You… think so?”

“I know so. No offense, but he moved heaven and earth to be with you. I once saw him break up with a girl because he didn’t want to get dressed to pick her up for a date HE scheduled. I never really liked his attitude towards his partners. It’s why I was so… well, surprised.”

“Oh.”

“And another thing?”

“Huh?” 

Yuuri was still mentally digesting the last few sentences – he wasn’t sure if he was ready for ‘another thing’ just yet.

“The first time he watched you skate in competition, he told me afterwards that he was planning on marrying you. I don’t know what stupid thing he’s done to make you doubt him, but… he’s serious. As his obviously biased friend, I really think you should give him a try.”

Yuuri coughed.

“I already did. Why do you think I asked if he was really straight after last night.?”

A half-second later, it clicked for him that sex was NOT what Chris had meant – he immediately ended the call, threw the phone across the futon and crawled lower under the blanket.

Well, that was the official end of his skating career then – no way could he risk meeting Chris at another event after making a fool of himself like that. It was probably best he never talk to anyone ever again.


	83. Chapter 83

Victor woke up alone. Normally that wouldn’t be overly concerning. He was used to sleeping alone or at least with Makka. That morning though, he was very much concerned, because he had passed out next to Yuuri Katsuki, love of his life.

Said man was nowhere to be seen though – nor was his dog. Blinking away the sleep from his eyes, he glanced outside and realised that it wasn’t exactly morning – more like mid-day. After scouring around for his phone, he checked – it was 12:14. 

Yawning, he stretched and stood up. He’d slept quite well – better than expected, really. After going through his suitcases for some clothes, he decided to go look for his lover. He very deliberately avoided thinking about why the other man might have left – he was sure there was a perfectly good explanation for it.

A few steps out of his room, he encountered Makka’s miniature twin and his namesake – Vicchan. Grinning, he picked up the tiny poodle and scratched his belly while continuing his search. He walked past what appeared to be several guests, all of which gave him curious looks – not too surprising, given his appearance.

Ultimately, the one he ran into was Yuuri’s father. The man’s English wasn’t the best, but they’d managed to chat just fine the day before.

“Hi! Where’s Yuuri?” He asked the older man.

Yuuri’s dad smiled.

“In town! With his mother. We are having a banquet tonight, and they are buying the food. Are you going? Take the car?”

Victor sighed.

“I can’t drive in Japan. Can I walk?”

Toshiya shrugged, before scribbling something down on a piece of paper and giving it to him.

“This is the market. Go there!”

And with that, he walked off – before Victor could so much as ask for directions or anything of the sort. To his disbelief, the note in his hand was in Japanese – he couldn’t even read it!

“Well Vicchan, it seems we’re going on an adventure. You’re coming with me, right?” The little poodle happily barked and wagged his tail as soon as Victor put him down. He found a leash for the dog by the door, and so decided to head out.

How badly could he possibly get lost? He had his wallet and phone, he would be fine.

Probably.


	84. Chapter 84

It wasn’t that Yuuri hated shopping per se, it was just that he hated shopping in loud, crowded markets. He’d, of course, agreed to help when his mother had come by and asked – he’d ignored her beaming expression when she’d found him in Victor’s bed.

She hadn’t said a word – nor had his sister, to her credit – but he could practically hear what they were probably thinking.

Well, at least the pungent smell of the fish at the market kept his mind from wandering to Victor. The man had been dead asleep when he’d left – he hadn’t so much as stirred. So, Yuuri had leashed Makka and decided to take her shopping as well.

She was remarkably well-behaved and even held things for him if he needed it – just not food. He’d given her a bag of steamed buns and turned back to pay, and by the time he’d turned back… well, he’d had to buy another bag full of buns.

The shopkeeper had found it quite hysterical and had been kind enough to give him a discount on the second batch… and a stronger bag.

That incident aside, they’d been making good progress. He’d gotten most of the things his mother had asked for – he’d been put in charge of dry ingredients, mostly. His mother and sister were off getting the fresh meats and fish and vegetables.

Carrying the latest batch of bags back to his mother’s van and loading them in the back, he was a little surprised when all of a sudden, Makka yanked on the leash, pulling him off balance. He only barely managed to close the van door before he was stumbling after the huge poodle.

It only took him a few seconds to figure out what was suddenly so interesting – Victor. Dressed in a well-fitting shirt and pants as well as a fluffy jacket, he was walking along the road leading up to the entrance of the market.

He was happily waving at Yuuri – or possibly Makka. It was hard to tell.

Suddenly eager to speed up as well, Yuuri let Makka drag him even faster.

“Hi!” He greeted the Russian a few seconds later, only to be wrapped up in a slightly exuberant hug.

“Yuuuuuri! I can’t believe you just left without us!”

Grinning, Yuuri bent down to scratch Vicchan’s ears.

“Well, you were dead asleep and Vicchan here can’t be trusted in the market. Makka was good though.”

“Of course she was!” Every bit the proud poodle dad, Victor accepted Makka’s leash and linked his arm with Yuuri’s.

“So what are we buying?”

“Nothing, I’m afraid – I’m all done. How did you find me?”

Victor handed him a note. He recognised the sloppy handwriting immediately.

“Dad gave you this?”

“Yes. I showed it to a nice man a little bit from the onsen and he directed me here.”

“Was it difficult to find?”

“…No?”

“What happened?”

“Oh, nothing I’m not used to. The nice man I mentioned? Well, his wife and their three daughters are apparently fans of mine. Very… exuberant fans.”

Yuuri nearly tripped over his own feet.

“Ah… you met some friends of mine then? I was going to introduce you tonight, actually. The girl, she and I went to school together. They own the rink in Hasetsu, actually. Yuuko and Takeshi. Their girls are Axel, Lutz and Loop.”

“Wow! Hasetsu really is a small place, isn’t it?”

“Yes… Listen, Victor, I’m really sorry. I didn’t know they were your fans, or that you’d run into them.”

“It’s fine. I’m used to it. I’m just glad I was able to find you.”

Me too, Yuuri thought to himself, not meaning the market at all.

Together, they headed back up to the van, just in time to join Mari, his mother and several bags filled with seafood. It was a bit of a squeeze with the four of them plus the dogs, but Victor didn’t seem bothered at all – in fact, he seemed delighted by, well, everything.

Yuuri ignored the fact that his sister and mother’s smiles had widened considerably when he’d showed up with Victor at the car. At least they still hadn’t said anything. 

Small mercies.


	85. Chapter 85

Victor was going mad. After coming back from the shopping trip, Yuuri had excused himself to help his mother in the kitchen. He’d offered to help as well, but had been gently rebuffed and told to relax instead.

Well, he didn’t want to relax. He wanted to be with Yuuri.

That wasn’t what was driving him mad though – it was his phone. He’d not noticed first thing, but his call history had been open, and there, at the top, was a call from Chris. Not unusual, except that he hadn’t spoken to the man – his phone, however, marked a 14-minute call.

There was only one explanation – Chris had spoken to Yuuri and that couldn’t POSSIBLY be good for him.

He and Chris had history, and for all that he was a good friend, Chris KNEW THINGS. Things he did NOT want Yuuri to know, thank you very much. He also knew that his friend would snitch on him without any hesitation.

He’d only just made progress with Yuuri too – he didn’t want things to go sideways now.

He’d tried calling the man to no avail – he wasn’t picking up. 

He drafted and discarded at least six text messages before he finally settled on one that was neither too rude nor too… polite.

‘Hey! What did you and Yuuri talk about this morning? Please tell me you didn’t say anything to embarrass me.’

He sent it – to his surprise, the response came quickly.

‘At skating function, can’t talk. Calling six times won’t make me pick up any faster, Cheri. And yes, he and I spoke.’

‘ABUOT WAHT’ He texted back, spelling be damned.

‘Victor. Calm down. I’m not going to tell you what we talked about so don’t bother. Yuuri knows about your little shopping spree though. That referral link I sent you really paid off for me. I got a voucher for 10% of what you paid.’

He really thought he might pass out for a second.

‘CHRIS!!! WHY did you tell him?’

‘I figured he’d know by now. You’re not the patient type.’

‘He didn’t KNOW!’

‘So I found out. Honestly, he’s such a sweetheart. I tried to convince him to go snooping and he just refused! So cute.’

Victor smiled weakly – yes, Yuuri was sweet, but he didn’t want Chris getting ideas… or Yuuri for that matter. He was beyond relieved that his little box of secrets was well stashed away at the back of his suitcase.

It had sat undisturbed that morning, so Yuuri hadn’t snooped. That was… good.

‘Victor? Did you die?’

Staring down at the second text from his friend, he was half-tempted to just text back a middle-finger emoji, before thinking better of it.

‘How did he react to hearing about the stuff?’

‘He was surprised.’

‘CHRIS!!! Tell me what he said!! What you said! I need to know!’

‘Honestly, you’re such a mess. I’ll tell you one thing: That boy is so far out of your league it’s not even funny. Now leave me alone I have to pretend to pay attention.’

Groaning, Victor flopped backward onto the futon.

He already knew that Yuuri was out of his league. Why couldn’t Chris be HELPFUL for once in his life?


	86. Chapter 86

Yuuri had missed working with his family. The onsen, the cooking, and everything, it wasn’t his thing long-term, but he enjoyed the happy humming from his mother as she cooked, the cheers from his dad as he watched football matches, the ribbing jokes from his sister when he messed something up…

He found himself standing in a corner, sniffling, fighting tears all of a sudden.

He’d MISSED his family, really missed them, and he hadn’t even noticed.

“Mum?” He asked quietly, surprised when she turned to him immediately.

“What is it dear?”

“I missed you guys. I’m sorry I didn’t come home sooner.”

He found himself wrapped up in a hug instantly.

“Oh don’t be sorry dear. You’ve been busy. It’s fine. We’re not mad… and we missed you too. And look, you came for Mari’s birthday. We’re going to Fukuoka to eat this Saturday. Are you and Victor coming along?”

Nodding, he hugged his mother back just as fiercely.

“If he wants to. I haven’t asked.”

“Of course. You know, we’re glad you have someone. He’s a very good man.”

He really was.

“I know that. We’re still figuring things out.”

“Well, you have excellent taste. If I was a few years younger…”

“Mum!”

Yuuri pulled back in horror – the very idea was… no. He wouldn’t even go there. His mother just laughed.

“But really Yuuri, it’s good to see you so happy. Hold on to him.”

“… I plan on it.”

His mother nodded and went back to what she was doing – preparing some fish.

Yuuri had been sentenced to boring tasks – he was in the middle of peeling a huge amount of hard-boiled eggs. Sighing, he picked up the next one. It was going to be a long afternoon, one he’d rather spend with Victor.

“Yuuuuri! Can I help?”

He hadn’t so much as cracked the shell of his next egg when Victor poked his head into the kitchen. His mother – standing between them – turned and gave him a conspiratory wink.

“…I could use some help with the eggs.”


	87. Chapter 87

Victor hadn’t expected to be peeling eggs when he’d finally wandered to the kitchen again. Still, he was doing it next to Yuuri, and that made it bearable. He had no idea what they would even do with that many eggs, but he was happy enough to help out.

He peeled them, Yuuri sorted them into three different piles. It took him a few moments to figure out the criteria – the nicer he peeled them, the further to the right they went. 

The left-most pile was definitely bigger than the others.

Yuuri’s mother was doing something else, not paying attention to them at all, really.

He was sure she kept an eye on what they were doing, but for the most part, it felt like he and Yuuri were alone… with about a thousand eggs.

He sighed.

“Are you bored? You don’t have to help.” Yuuri remarked, ever observant.

“No, it’s fine. I just… what are these all for?”

Instead of replying, Yuuri said something in Japanese to his mother – she chuckled before giving a rather long reply of her own.

“Ah. So, some of these will be used as garnish, a few are going on some cold sandwiches, some will be for soup, and then she’s making a spread…”

Yuuri trailed off.

“That’s a lot! And it’s not… very Japanese?”

To his surprise, Yuuri blushed scarlet. What had he said?

“Erm, well, mum thought it would be best to have things you are familiar with. In… in case you don’t like the traditional stuff she’s making. I’m used to American food too, so…”

Victor froze, practically swooning with a wave of affection not just for Yuuri, but also his family. He’d known they were kind people, being so hospitable and all, but…

He gulped.

“Yuuri?”

“Teach me how to say thank you to your mother?”

He didn’t miss the small smile Yuuri gave before putting his own eggs down.

“Sure.”

The next few minutes were spent on him learning an awkward and unnecessarily long sentence – he’d expected there to be a word, not a whole sentence. It didn’t help that his pronunciation was awful. He spoke Russian, English, and French – it seemed Japanese wasn’t his cup of tea.

Still, he managed something of a passable try eventually, and Yuuri deemed him good enough to talk to his mother. So, a little nervous, he shuffled over to her.

What could go wrong, right?


	88. Chapter 88

Yuuri listened to Victor awkwardly stumbling his way through the sentence he’d taught him – ‘Thank you for changing the meal for me.’. It wasn’t anything fancy, but Victor had wanted to get it just right before going to his mother.

Watching him repeat the words back to his beaming mother – Yuuri nearly swooned. How could something so simple be so… endearing?

Well aware that he had a stupidly sappy grin on his face, he watched as his mother blushed in delight and immediately hugged the much taller man. No doubt, the Russian had just won major brownie points… not that he needed them.

“Yo, Yuuri!” His sister called out from the next room, disrupting his train of thoughts.

“What is it?” He asked after stepping out of the kitchen.

“You two have been helping all day. You should go and enjoy your afternoon.”

“What? But we still have so much work to do…”

Mari huffed.

“It’s fine little bro. We’ve got this. You two go out and have some fun. You haven’t been to the rink yet, have you? Yuuko will be upset if you don’t go soon.”

He groaned.

“Yuuko… she’s met Victor. Apparently she’s his fan.”

His sister gave him an odd look.

“Of course she is? I don’t think there are any women on this planet who AREN’T.”

“You too?”

She snickered.

“Well, not so much now. He’s really not what I expected. He’s much more… puppy-like than I expected.”

“I think he’s wonderful.”

“Of course you do. Now take your ‘wonderful’ puppy and go. I’ll look after your ACTUAL puppies while you’re gone.”

With that, she stepped past him into the kitchen and went to talk to their mother.

Moments later, a very confused Victor stepped out of the kitchen as well. 

“Ah… Mari says you want to take me on a walk? Where are we going?”

Groaning internally, he led Victor to his room to get their respective skates.

“No, she was just… it was a joke. How would you like to go skating? You haven’t seen the rink yet.”

“Ohh that sounds fun, let’s go!”

By the time they reached the rink about twenty minutes later, skates and all in tow, Yuuri was quite… tense. To his immense relief, the Nishigoris weren’t there. He used his old key to let them in and led Victor straight to the changing rooms.

Stretching, warming up… he’d missed it. Even the few days that he’d taken a break for were more than he was used to, and he was glad to be back on the ice, especially on familiar territory… and in good company.


	89. Chapter 89

Victor LOVED watching Yuuri skate. They did the same warm-ups, went through the same motions, but as soon as they stepped on the ice, the difference showed. Yuuri glid effortlessly, while it took him a few moments to find his feet… and even then, there was a natural grace to Yuuri’s movements that he could never hope to match.

“Are we going to continue my training?”

“If you’d like. While we’re here, it should be easy for you to film everything. You know, for your Instagram?”

He nodded – Yuuri was right. There were several great spots to set up a camera, and he would definitely make use of one… another day. For now, the ice was for them.

“What do you do when you practice alone?” 

“Hm? Oh, I start by skating figures, then I do a few jumps, then some routine work, usually. Nothing fancy.”

“I disagree. You look very fancy when you skate.”

Yuuri’s chuckle warmed him.

“So, what do I do while you… do that?”

“Hm, how about you practice skating backwards at higher speeds? You’ll have to for learning jumps.”

He froze – jumps? He was nowhere near jumps, surely? Evidently, Yuuri could tell he was worried because the skater shook his head just moments later.

“You won’t be jumping just yet, but the sooner you get the hang of this, the easier it will be when you’re ready for it. Trust me, I won’t push you before you’re ready.”

He trusted Yuuri – of course he did.

So, he set about doing what the other man had suggested – skating backwards, in circles and at least somewhat circular shapes. While he did so in one corner of the ice, Yuuri had the majority of it to himself.

Victor would be lying if he said he didn’t spend more time watching Yuuri than focusing on his own feet. To be fair to him, Yuuri was a much nicer sight. He was fairly sure the other man saw him watching, but as he still sort of practiced, seemed content to leave him be.

Good.

Not like he’d have stopped watching anyway.

When Yuuri transitioned to jumps – singles, and doubles first, Victor stopped pretending to be training. Somehow, Yuuri had more grace flubbing a jump than other people had landing them. Not that he fell that often – twice, actually, out of the dozens of attempts that Victor saw.


	90. Chapter 90

Yuuri was doing okay. Not spectacularly well, but not bad either. He was landing his jumps consistently, and even Victor watching him didn’t, well, put him off. Of course, he realised the other man wasn’t exactly training as he should be, but he could ignore that… for a while.

He felt confident enough to show off – a rarity, and one he wanted to enjoy for a while. The open joy on Victor’s face, the admiration, and affection he could clearly see made him feel seven feet tall. He didn’t think the other man had been quite so obvious before, but Yuuri was absolutely loving it.

He knew that if Celestino could see him, he’d be impressed with his effort – even after taking a bit of a break from skating. He could have kept going forever, but after a while, he could feel the tiredness catching up with him, the strain on his legs slowly increasing.

Still, he’d had one of the best training sessions in recent years, and he was pleased with himself… and so was Victor, evidently. The man was still beaming at him when Yuuri finally decided to call it quits and focus on Victor’s skating for a bit.

He’d half expected the other man to be annoyed or huffy, but he happily submitted to Yuuri’s instructions and seemed to genuinely try – once again, he was making a fair bit of progress very quickly. 

Yuuri was proud of him, and after a bit of stuttering, actually told him so. The smile he got in return was brighter than the sun, he was sure of it. It was the only reason he didn’t reject Victor’s request to pair skate – the other man wasn’t quite skilled enough yet, but when he suggested that Yuuri mirror his moves, he agreed.

It was… fun. They just skated awkward shapes and turns, nothing at all challenging… until Victor decided to try his hand at a jump.

Yuuri nearly had a heart attack, but as it turned out, a wobbly single flip was apparently easy enough for the Russian. He’d not copied the move – he had been too worried and had called an immediate end to the skating session.

Victor had taken that as an opportunity to declare himself the ‘winner’ – what he’d won, Yuuri wasn’t sure, so he just quietly nodded along all the way until they were back home at the onsen. Apparently, nothing could affect Victor’s good mood… and under all the exasperation, Yuuri felt just as giddy.

They went back to the onsen as the sun was setting – this time, they weren’t alone. A fair number of patrons were making use of the baths, forcing them to behave appropriately. No splashing of water, no flirting, nothing that could be considered fun.

Still, the hot water did wonders for his muscles and joints, and he allowed himself to thoroughly relax before they got back out. They split up after, and Yuuri returned to his room. As per his mother’s request earlier that day, he had prepared some more formal clothing for the evening banquet.

Slipping on robes he hadn’t work in years felt a little odd – they fit well enough, but he wasn’t quite sure how he felt about the look of the stiff silver fabric. He probably looked ridiculous – he hoped Victor would like it, at least.

Yeah right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri's robes: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/7b/09/da/7b09daec243d1021aea35c95dcea0bcb.jpg


	91. Chapter 91

Victor was relieved when Mari slipped into his room after Yuuri went upstairs. The other man had just told him to get ready, not what that actually met – his older sister was much more helpful. After selecting some clothes for him, she told him what to expect – the town was holding a celebration of some sort and had invited local business owners to attend.

He wasn’t too fussed about the details, but he was pleased by the instructions, nonetheless. He didn’t want to make a fool of himself in front of Yuuri or his family. Alone with Mari, he half expected some sort of shovel talk from her, but nothing of the sort happened – in fact, Mari didn’t say much at all.

She wasn’t much like her brother, but he liked her anyway. Being an only child, he could appreciate her gruff older sister attitude and he envied Yuuri a little bit. He hurried through his usual preparation routine, under Mari’s watchful eyes. 

Well, she was only half paying attention. Mostly she was petting the dogs. He didn’t blame her.

“Do you know what Yuuri will be wearing?” He eventually asked her.

“Yup.”

“Uhm… and what’s that?”

“Formal robes.”

“Which are…?” He KNEW she was messing with him, her chuckling made it obvious.

“Oh, you’ll see. I’m sure you’ll like them though.”

“Fair enough. What about you?”

She shrugged.

“I won’t be part of the event. Me and mum will be working in the kitchens.”

“Oh! Is that okay? Do you need more help?”

She laughed and waved him off.

“Don’t worry, all the eggs are peeled.”

“Sorry I wasn’t more help.”

“Don’t worry. You don’t need to help at all. You and Yuuri… it’s good to have him visit, that’s all.”

“I know he’s glad that he’s back too.”

“Mhm… don’t tell him I said so but we all miss him a lot. My brother the big-shot skater… and now he got himself big-shot arm candy as well.”

Partly because of her pronunciation and partly because of the sheer absurdity of what she’d called him, it took him a moment to understand what she had just said. He could feel himself blushing for some reason – flattery, maybe?

“If anyone is arm candy, it’s Yuuri.”

Mari snorted.

“Oh god, you two are awful. I’ll go check on your Romeo and I’ll come get you when the event starts, okay Juliet?”

She was out the door before he could insist that he was not Juliet, thank you very much. He was left with Makka, tail wagging and utterly unsympathetic to his problems. Huffing, he went back to styling his hair. If he was supposed to be arm candy, he was damn well going to be good at it.


	92. Chapter 92

To his shame, Yuuri had… well, he had forgotten about Victor. When his sister came to get him to help with a few last preparations he’d been busy, and then his old friends the Nishigoris had shown up, as well as some other people he hadn’t seen in a while… and then he realised that he hadn’t thought to check on the other man in some time.

The banquet wasn’t starting quite yet, so he hurriedly excused himself in order to go get him… except there was no need.

Before he could fully turn around, he realised that Victor had already entered the banquet hall. It wasn’t difficult – there were hushed whispers and a squeal or two, even. He spun on the spot, ready to apologise to Victor when he spontaneously lost the ability to form words.

Victor was beautiful.

He knew that.

He had clearly NOT known just HOW beautiful the other man was. 

Victor wasn’t even wearing anything overly special – a shirt and dress pants, that was it, really. A nice tie, rounding it all off. Except the clothes looked like they had been tailored to fit him, and dyed specifically to bring out the best about his appearance.

For all he knew, they may well have been.

His hair was styled perfectly, shinier even than normal, and there was a hint of pink on his cheekbones and lips that revealed that he had put on makeup. Even being gay, Yuuri had never touched the stuff. Victor on the other hand clearly knew what he was doing, because he looked like he dropped out of one of his Instagram posts, filters be damned.

He gulped, a moment later making eye contact with the man. The blue froze him in place, though it was the same colour he was used to seeing now. Something about the way he was looking at Yuuri was… more. Different.

Realising he hadn’t been breathing, he gasped lightly. His legs were feeling a little weak – then Victor came closer and he suddenly understood why Victor got the reactions he did from people. He was easily the most gorgeous thing Yuuri had ever seen… and somehow he was there FOR Yuuri. Because of Yuuri.

Clearly, he owed a deity somewhere a huge favour.

Gulping again, he tried to come up with some sort of way to compliment the Russian, or really, anything else to say.

He had nothing.

Eventually, an unsubtle elbow in the back from Takeshi reminded him that he was, in fact, not alone with Victor and that he was acting like an idiot.

Clearing his throat, he smiled at the other man.

“Victor, you look… nice. You, uh, you remember Yuuko and Takeshi from before?”

He thought he saw something like a pout on Victor’s features for a moment, then the expression was replaced by a smile – the fake kind he had on around fans.

Yuuri wasn’t sure how, but he was fairly certain he’d offended the other man in some way.


	93. Chapter 93

Victor had nearly passed out from sheer thirst when he’d first spotted Yuuri talking to his friends in the hall. He’d had a good view down the hall and Yuuri looked spectacular in those robes. He’d never particularly cared for formal clothing outside of suits, but Yuuri looked breath-taking under the multi-layered fabric. It suited him perfectly… as did the happy, carefree smile he had for his friends.

At Mari’s behest, he stepped into the room, unsurprised by the reactions he got. He was used to the fawning. He’d hoped… well, he’d hoped Yuuri would react too. Compliment him, maybe. He had specifically prettied himself up for Yuuri after all.

He was, however, disappointed. Although Yuuri gave him a wide-eyed look that spoke volumes of what he thought, the only thing the other man said about him was that he looked ‘nice’.

He hadn’t spent the better part of an hour fixing himself up for ‘nice’.

Still, he played nice. Yuuko and Takeshi were indeed the couple he’d met on his trek to the market. He hadn’t lied about that – he had, however, uh, downplayed how much of a pain it was to get there. Yuuri had been so happy to see him, he hadn’t wanted to tell him that he’d taken just about every wrong turn possible.

A fair few of the younger guests knew him, and most of them were his fan – he found himself posing for pictures and shaking hands far more than he wanted to. He wanted to be with Yuuri. Ideally, alone.

Of course, he was also mad that the other man hadn’t really acknowledged how much effort he’d put in, so he happily flitted from guest to guest without spending too much time with Yuuri.

If he did so while always making sure Yuuri and those robes of his were in his field of vision, well then, nobody could prove that.

After the initial oohing and aahing had died down, they sat along the long table and food was served. Victor sat next to Yuuri of course, with Yuuko to his other side. The woman was actually incredibly sweet and knowing a little more about how important she was to Yuuri, he felt a little bad for judging her as just another fan at first.

Her husband, however… well, he hadn’t been pleased when she’d fawned over him, and he wasn’t any more pleased that they were getting along at the banquet either. He didn’t miss the crabby looks the man shot him… nor the comments he kept making to Yuuri.

They were usually followed by Yuuri looking over at him for a few seconds before blushing and hissing something back at Takeshi. Of course, it was all in Japanese, which wasn’t very… helpful.

What was, and what ultimately made his displeasure dissipate was the fact that underneath the low table, Yuuri’s hand snuck over to him. After brushing his leg a few times, Yuuri placed his hand firmly on Victor’s thigh, all the while pretending to pay no attention at all – at least Victor hoped he was pretending.

The touch – simple yet possessive made him feel a lot warmer than the room warranted… and there was nothing he could do about it.

Well, not much. He shifted a little closer and spread his legs just a bit wider, causing Yuuri’s hand to slip higher up his thigh. He’d half expected the man to correct the position… or at least to blush. Yuuri did neither. Instead, he slipped his hand a little further up and tightened his grip.

Victor felt faint.

Course after course came out, and he was fairly certain he ate – he must have. He wasn’t sure, though. All he could think about was Yuuri’s hand, and how the man managed to eat just fine with only one hand.

In fact, he looked as if nothing at all was going on. Victor knew, he spent most of the evening staring after all. It was absolute torture.


	94. Chapter 94

Yuuri wasn’t exactly the most confident of people, he was the first to admit that. It took him longer than other people to, well, come out of his shell.

For Victor, he realised he’d have to make an exception. Mari had, helpfully, let him know what he’d done wrong – he’d had no idea Victor had spent so long making himself look good. He always made it seem so casual, so effortless, Yuuri had just assumed it was his own feelings for him that made him look so stunning.

Unfortunately, with the damage done, he couldn’t exactly apologise openly – certainly not in front of all the guests. So, he settled for quiet reassurance.

His plan had been to hold Victor’s hand under the low table.

Instead, he’d ended up possessively putting his hand on his thigh. He’d had half a mind to apologise when the wide-eyed look Victor gave him made him realise that it was… probably fine?

Well, he certainly didn’t pull away.

So, while ignoring the MANY teasing comments from Takeshi, he just… kept his hand on Victor’s thigh. 

Takeshi took full advantage of the fact that Victor didn’t understand them. The jokes about Yuuri’s new wife, his trophy girlfriend and so on were never-ending… and Yuuri was sort of loving it. Sure, Victor wasn’t exactly any of those things… but they were something.

Yuuri wanted that ‘something’.

When Victor shuffled closer and his hand inadvertently slid higher, he found himself wanting to be confident. He slid his hand even higher, still hidden beneath the table.

He didn’t even want to know what sort of comments Nishigori would make if he could see what they were doing – not that they were doing much at all, really. Mostly, Yuuri was counting the minutes until they could excuse themselves.

Not that he didn’t enjoy his friends’ company, but he’d much rather be enjoying Victor’s, really.

He did feel a little guilty for thinking that, but then he’d feel Victor shift a little closer and then those thoughts would be blown away again.

The evening couldn’t go fast enough, really.

By the time the majority of the guests were leaving and Yuuri deemed it ‘safe’ to escape, all he could think about was ripping Victor’s clothes off with his teeth. Fighting down the urge to do so over the dinner table, he made his excuses to his father – the Nishigoris had left long ago on behalf of their young kids – and stood.

Victor was half a step behind him all the way to his room.


	95. Chapter 95

When Yuuri stood in order to leave, Victor followed him instantly. He was practically falling over his feet following after the perfectly collected Yuuri, but he was beyond caring.

So, so far beyond caring.

As soon as they reached his room, Yuuri slammed open the sliding door and spun around, faster than Victor could stop. Instead of colliding with him though, Yuuri reached out, grabbed him by the tie and pulled him into the room.

He only just managed to slide the door shut again with his foot before he found himself falling onto the futon, above Yuuri. He hadn’t fully landed yet when Yuuri ran his hands through his hair and pulled him down into a kiss.

It felt like he could finally breathe again like a weight was lifted from his shoulders.

He didn’t even try to stop the embarrassing moan that tore its way from his throat. Yuuri’s fingers tightened in his hair, fingers scraping over his scalp.

Moments later, Yuuri rolled them so that he was above Victor, without so much as breaking the kiss.

Victor was impressed.

His hands were scrambling along his robes, looking for a way to get the infernal things open – he had no idea what he was doing, but he knew he wanted Yuuri to be naked for it.

After a few moments of no success, he gave up with a frustrated whine.

Yuuri sat back with a chuckle.

“Let me help you.”

To Victor’s surprise, Yuuri had no trouble at all undoing the belt and the layers of fabric – he had underestimated just how many there were. It took him a moment, but he eventually realised that things would be a lot more fun if he too were naked – so, in record time, he stripped off his clothes and threw them towards the door.

As soon as Yuuri got rid of the last layer, he pushed Victor back into the futon, once again kissing him like his life depended on it. Victor had had plans – about touching Yuuri this way or that – but all he could do was hold on for dear life as the other man leaned above him and kissed him.

By the time Yuuri pulled back and kissed his way down Victor’s stomach, he was dizzy and so, so, so hard. He groaned when Yuuri licked across his nipple before moving lower and lower still, not so much as pausing this time before he wrapped his hand around his erection.

Victor was shaking with want, desperate for more than just a touch – Yuuri seemed happy enough to oblige him and moments later, a wet tongue licked across his head. The skater was far less hesitant than he had been – within moments, he had swallowed him down completely.

He cried out Yuuri’s name, hands fisted in Yuuri’s soft black hair. He bobbed his head up and down a few times, and with alarming speed, Victor felt himself approaching his orgasm. It wasn’t fair – he’d spent most of the evening turned on, after all.

Lightly tugging on his hair, he got Yuuri to release him.

The look on Yuuri’s face, the hunger there, took his breath away.


	96. Chapter 96

Yuuri was beyond turned on. Tearing their respective clothes off had taken way too long in his opinion, and Victor’s reactions were absolutely intoxicating. He’d been quite disappointed when the man had stopped him – clearly, he’d enjoyed it.

“W-What?” He gasped, catching his breath.

“You, uhm… do you want to do more?” Victor choked out, looking positively ravished.

It took Yuuri several seconds to comprehend what the other man was offering.

“Are you up for that?” 

Victor’s response was a snort.

He watched as the Russian got up and half stumbled over to his luggage – what in the world was he doing?

Yuuri figured it out when a few moments later, he was back and dumped a handful of little packets and a small bottle on Yuuri’s lap. Lube.

Ah.

“I’ve been ‘up’ for it since before we left America.”

Wow.

Yuuri was in a bit of a predicament though – Victor didn’t know what to do, and he needed a way to make showing him, well, interesting for the Russian. 

The idea came to him by way of Victor’s discarded tie. He fished for it and motioned for the other man to come closer. Victor obeyed eagerly, of course.

“Give me your hands.” He ordered, pleased when Victor did just that. He easily tied Victor’s wrists together – firmly enough to prevent him from doing much with his hands, but not enough to cut off his circulation.

Victor cursed under his breath once he realised what Yuuri was doing – no protest came, though. Still holding onto his tied wrists, Yuuri grinned.

“Sit back and spread your legs.”

Victor did so, held upright by Yuuri’s grip on his wrists. Once he was satisfied that the man was sitting comfortably, he shuffled closer and sat between Victor’s legs. He had a fair idea of what Victor thought was about to happen… well, he was probably wrong.

After kissing Victor thoroughly – as much for courage as it was for his enjoyment – he spread his legs and laid back between Victor’s own, just out of reach of his tied hands. He watched as comprehension slowly dawned on Victor’s face – followed by a deep pink blush.

Yuuri grinned and blindly reached for one of the lube packets Victor had brought over. He barely glanced at the label before tearing it open and letting it drip over his hands as showy as possible.


	97. Chapter 97

Victor had assumed that when Yuuri had agreed to go further, he would be on the receiving end of things. Even having never done that, he was quite okay with that. Yuuri tying his hands was unexpected but certainly not unwelcome… and it seemed to support his hypothesis.

Then… well then Yuuri laid back, his legs spread impossibly wide and resting over his own, giving him a spectacular view of Yuuri’s body, even in the low light of the room. He figured out what was happening right around the time Yuuri let the lube drip on his free hand.

It was around that time Victor started considering the possibility that he’d died and gone to heaven. Cursing softly, he watched Yuuri reach down between his legs and slowly preparing himself. He’d seen a few moments of this in the porn Chris had recommended, and he’d not cared for it at all. It had looked tacky and boring.

With Yuuri, he could barely breathe.

Yuuri’s entire family could have burst in and he wouldn’t have been able to tear his eyes from the sight before him. Yuuri clearly knew what he was doing, and he wasn’t shy about doing it either. He’d already inserted two fingers and was lazily fucking himself on them, his other hand occasionally running over his hard cock.

Victor wanted to touch him so, so badly.

Thanks to his tie, however, he couldn’t. The idea of bondage, of Yuuri tying him up, sounded fantastic – the reality of it was frustrating as hell.

He whimpered as Yuuri shifted a little and spread himself open wider before entering a third finger. He seemed to do so easily as well – Victor knew he probably had practice but GOD it was unfair of Yuuri to catch him off-guard like that.

Of course, he loved watching the skater enjoy himself too, but… but… he moaned quietly.

“Yuuuuri!” He whined, hoping the other man would take pity on him.

He really seemed to – slowly, agonisingly slowly, he pulled his fingers out and sat up.

“Are you ready for something else?” He asked, his voice a little hoarse in a way that nearly made Victor melt.

Frantically nodding as he was well beyond coherent speech, he was more than a little surprised when Yuuri rolled over to reach for another one of those lube packets before pushing him backward, causing him to topple over.

A moment later, Yuuri was straddling his chest, one hand pinning his tied wrists above his head.

Whimpering pathetically, he resigned himself to whatever would happen – clearly, Yuuri had a plan and while he had no idea what that plan was, he was absolutely not going to complain.

Yuuri kissed him again, unhurried in a most frustrating way. Had he had enough air to do so, he’d have complained, probably.

“Victor?”

“Hn?”

“You’ll tell me to stop if you’re not comfortable with something, right?”

Resisting the urge to profess his undying love for the other man, he nodded mutely. There was zero chance of that happening of course, but… he wanted to reassure Yuuri. So, he nodded knowing full well that no matter what Yuuri was about to do, he would absolutely love it.

After the other man pressed another, reassuring kiss to his lips, he leaned back, and tender, sweet Yuuri was gone, replaced with the confident minx he’d been salivating over all night.

From somewhere – Victor wasn’t sure where, Yuuri had also pulled a condom. He wasted no time in putting it on Victor, in one smooth motion before leaning back and studying his handiwork.

Then, Yuuri was ripping the lube packet he still had open with his teeth – Victor was going to DIE.

Yuuri wasted no time in letting the liquid drip down on Victor’s neglected cock – he hissed at how cold it felt. Moments later, Yuuri was pumping him – no doubt only spreading the lube, but he didn’t care. The touch felt divine and ended far too soon.

Of course, watching Yuuri position himself above him was about the next best thing. The younger man held him in place with one hand, while lowering himself down on him fairly smoothly. He marvelled at the strength it had to take to do so, at least for a second.

Then, his dick slipped between Yuuri’s cheeks and his mind went white with pleasure. Yuuri took him in one slow motion – he fought hard to keep still, to not buck up into the tight warmth of the man above him.

It was a struggle, but watching Yuuri palm himself as he sat all the way down was so, so worth it. Yuuri held still for a few moments, apparently catching his breath.


	98. Chapter 98

Yuuri had expected sex with Victor to be good – he hadn’t expected it to be THAT good. Even after last time, he was surprised by the way the other man met him where he was, just as eager, just as keen and clearly as desperate for him as he was for the other man.

Taking the lead like he had meant that he could easily show the other man the ropes, so to speak – but that required him to stay calm, and that wasn’t really happening. He was used to Victor throwing him off his game, but he hadn’t quite figured out how to cope with it yet.

He’d taken Victor into himself faster than he’d planned, pleased by how well he filled him… and he had instantly discarded all thought of potentially going slow. He wasn’t going to last long, but he was fully planning on enjoying himself as much as possible.

Shifting his weight a little, he got into a better position to move.

Even the first up and down on Victor’s cock had him breathing harder – it felt spectacular. Though he did his best to keep an eye on Victor’s reactions as well, it was all too easy to get caught up in the feel of it.

His partner was moaning quietly – then, not so quietly – with every motion he made. It was as intoxicating as the feeling itself was, and it only motivated him to go harder and faster.

Keeping his balance with one hand on Victor’s chest, he used the other to jerk himself off. His hand was still slick with some of the lube, making it that much better for him. 

It wouldn’t take long, he realised, not long at all.

In a matter of moments, he felt himself approaching the edge. Making a conscious effort to keep his eyes open, he looked down at Victor. His eyes were glazed over, his mouth open slightly. He was panting, occasionally mumbling something – he could make out his name but not much else.

Awkwardly leaning down, he kissed the corner of Victor’s mouth.

“’m real-ly close!” He managed to choke out before another moan tore itself from his throat. Victor nodded almost frantically, his hips shifting ever so slightly up to meet him with every thrust.

“L-Love you…” Victor moaned on a particularly hard thrust, and just like that, Yuuri was crying out, his orgasm overtaking him completely. Between his legs, he could feel Victor trembling, his face contorted in pleasure.


	99. Chapter 99

Victor realised that if he could never move again, it would still have been worth it. He could barely feel his legs, was still panting too hard to even consider speaking. It had been some minutes since Yuuri had slid off him and had curled up against his side, the other man’s sticky residue drying on his chest.

He didn’t mind it much. To be fair, it was pretty much impossible to be upset after what he’d just experienced. He was fairly sure that nothing that would ever happen to him could possibly compare – well unless Yuuri did that to him again. Then… maybe.

He thought for a few moments, that Yuuri might have fallen asleep again, but the skater was awake – looking up at him through dark lashes. He was evidently just as out of breath as Victor was – he was a little bit proud, not that he’d done much.

After a few minutes, Yuuri stretched by his side, and he decided to give the whole speaking thing another try.

“Mind untying me?” He asked, his voice rough in his throat.

“Oh! Yes, sorry I completely forgot.”

Yuuri undid the knot and he winced at the sight of his now mangled tie – well, it was three hundred dollars well spent.

Groaning, he leaned up on his elbows – he was hurting quite a bit. A guilty look flashed across Yuuri’s features, and before he could stop him, the other man had pulled on Victor’s borrowed robe and dashed out of the room.

Apparently, Yuuri disappearing after sex was a thing.

Well, he was fairly certain the skater would come back, at least.

Indeed, a few minutes later, a blushing Yuuri returned with…

“Are those wet wipes?”

“Yes. We keep some by the onsen. Here, let me…”

With that, Yuuri bent forward and started gently wiping the dried trails from his chest and stomach. He was incredibly tender about it, and though he didn’t make eye contact, Victor didn’t mind. He hadn’t expected Yuuri to help clean him up – it was a welcome surprise.

Grabbing another wipe, he finished cleaning the rest of himself up – presumably, Yuuri had already done the same as he crawled straight under the blanket of the futon.

Victor joined him a few minutes later.

Embarrassingly, he was still breathing a little hard.

“We should… should we talk?” Yuuri asked, his voice quiet even in the silence of the room.

“Mhm.”

“I… well, I enjoyed that. A lot.”

“Me too. Obviously. I’m… glad? That you’ve stopped thinking I wouldn’t be interested.” 

Yuuri flinched at his words and he mentally kicked himself.

“No, you’re right. I spent so much time worrying about when you would realise that I was just some boring loser that I never considered… wait, let me start over.”

Mouth already open to deny the horrible things Yuuri was saying about himself, he obediently stayed quiet as Yuuri ordered his thoughts.

“I realised… I realised that I like you. And that… I want you to stay. I really wanted what you said to be the truth. When I got jealous over the flight attendant I realised that all I had been doing was push you away. I wanted to do the opposite.”

Victor’s heart was beating faster with every word.

Although Yuuri was steadfastly staring at the blanket between them, the words nearly brought him to tears. He hadn’t really hoped to hear anything like it – at least, not yet. He’d expected there to be a lot more… well, he had expected that he’d have to prove himself and his feelings, at least.

“V-Victor?” Yuuri asked, his voice even quieter than before.

He realised he’d been silent for too long.

“Ah, sorry. I’m really happy. I want to be with you, I really do. I’ve loved everything we’ve done together. Also, I’m definitely not going to realise you’re boring or a loser, because you are neither of those things. You’re wonderful. I’m… just trying to keep up.”

Yuuri shuffled closer under the blanket until they were just barely touching.

“I’m sorry I’ve been so difficult about this.”

“Don’t be. I know I can be too much sometimes, it’s okay.”

To his surprise, Yuuri’s head snapped up and he squinted at Victor in apparent anger.

“Don’t say that! You’re not too much at all. You’re… you’re perfect.”

The last word was barely a mumble against his chest, but Victor heard it anyway.

Thanking whatever gods he’d pleased to get so lucky, he pulled Yuuri against himself harder and allowed himself to relax – the smaller man had really worn him out.


	100. Chapter 100

Yuuri wasn’t really used to sleeping with anyone else – not even Victor. Waking up with him curled around him was becoming quite a pleasant habit though – even if it was difficult to escape the sleeping man. 

Face burning as he thought about what had happened between them the night before, he managed to free himself and get up. Victor continued sleeping – he’d never expected the self-proclaimed early riser to sleep longer than he was so often.

On his way to the bathroom, he nearly stepped on a bag of Victor’s – after a moment’s examination, he realised that it was the one that Victor had gotten the lube from. He’d said he wouldn’t snoop, but… curious now, he bent down to peek inside.

He found more lube – a LOT more, actually – a few cock rings, and a set of fairly small dildos, as well as two butt plugs. One of them had a gemstone embedded in the base – it was a dark red colour that he actually quite liked.

Of course, the fact that Victor had bought this and brought it along he wasn’t so keen on… but he also couldn’t exactly blame the man for being hopeful. Especially not when his little collection had proven so… helpful the night before. Carefully, he put back his findings and tiptoed to the bathroom and back.

Victor was still asleep, so Yuuri crawled right back into bed with him. For once, he was the one that curled up against Victor’s back – although he was shorter, he still enjoyed the position very much. Victor didn’t stir either, so he rather figured the other man wouldn’t mind.

Sleep, however, didn’t come the way he’d hoped. He was still thinking about Victor’s purchases – Chris had implied that there was significantly more. Although sex toys were expensive, the ones he’d seen definitely didn’t warrant Chris’ reaction over the phone. In other words… there was probably more?

He shifted around a bit, looking at Victor’s luggage. He’d watched him pack most of it, so he was fairly certain he hadn’t brought any more of it. That meant… well, that meant it was still in Detroit. So, the soonest he’d get to see those mystery items was in three weeks, when they’d go back.

He paused for a moment – thinking of Victor still being around, and of them still being together in almost a month felt… wonderful.

Hiding his goofy smile against Victor’s back, he did his best to NOT think about the mysterious toy collection Victor had bought. Surely, with how standard the things he’d seen were, he didn’t need to worry about anything else being too out there.

… Right?


	101. Chapter 101

Victor woke up well-rested and in an incredibly good mood. He’d had a fantastic night, what with the spectacular sex and the following hear to heart with Yuuri – who WOULDN’T be in a great mood?

It was only made better by the fact that Yuuri was wrapped around his back, steadily breathing against his shoulder. He stretched, yawning as he did so, and allowed himself to relax in the younger man’s arms.

They weren’t in any hurry – at least he didn’t think they were.

It was Friday – as far as Yuuri had said, Mari’s birthday dinner was happening Saturday. In other words, they had the day free. 

Sighing, he realised that he’d probably have to film himself skating – his progress video wouldn’t be very impressive if he didn’t. As it was, he wasn’t entirely convinced things would go all that well anyway – there was no way he could hope to match the grace with which Yuuri had skated that routine.

Then again, the other man had put a lot of thought into it, and he wasn’t about to just waste the opportunity he’d been given. Indeed, he would do his best to live up to Yuuri’s expectations and his own… on the ice and off it.

Squirming backward, he was pleased when Yuuri tightened his hold on him even more. Despite the height difference, Victor loved being the little spoon – he felt safe and cared for. He hoped Yuuri felt at least a little similar when their positions were reversed.

Yawning again, he realised that for all the cuddling in the world, he was still getting quite, well, bored.

So, he awkwardly fished for his phone and checked his Instagram profile. He hadn’t in some time, and it showed. There was an annoying amount of messages, most of which he ignored. A few he forwarded to some of his sponsors, and others still, he marked unread to reply to later.

He had a few posts ready to go – some sponsored, some his personal ones. He always kept a few ready in case he wasn’t feeling up to creating something new. He published the first and scheduled in another one for later – that was enough for the time being.

He checked his other SNS as well – nothing particularly exciting. He had a few texts from Chris, all of which he ignored – they were just bait for info about how he and Yuuri were doing. After thinking about it for a minute, he changed his mind though and snapped a quick photo of Yuuri’s bare arms around him. He made sure to crop out his face – he wasn’t born yesterday – and texted that to Chris in lieu of any actual response.

Chris responded nearly instantly with a series of eggplant, peach and water emojis.

Groaning at the realisation that his friend was definitely an idiot and he probably needed to look at an upgrade, he almost didn’t notice that Yuuri had woken up – the shorter man pressed a kiss to his shoulder before releasing him and rolling away.

“G’morning.” He mumbled, rubbing his face as Victor sat up too.

“Good morning sleeping beauty!”

Yuuri gave him a sleepy smile.


	102. Chapter 102

Yuuri was glad that it was Victor that had to do most of the work in their skating lessons. He was happy enough to skate circles and give instructions, but with the way his back was hurting, he didn’t fancy himself jumping anything more than a double.

It really had been some time for him, and he’d underestimated how much of an impact the late nightly… exercise would have on him. He’d been carefully preparing himself, of course, but that didn’t make up for the long break since he’d last been with someone.

Of course, that particular encounter couldn’t hold a candle to Victor – nothing could. Even as he was aching and sore on the ice, he had to fight the idiotic grin that threatened to take over his face whenever he thought about it too long.

He got distracted a lot that morning.

That didn’t stop him from being quite harsh on Victor though – they were behind schedule, and with only a few weeks to get him ready, there wasn’t a lot of leeway he could give his lover. Going by the glares Victor shot him every now and again, the Russian wasn’t too fond of that fact… but he also wasn’t exactly protesting.

Yuuri did his best to keep things as nice as possible – that included stealing the occasional kiss when it suited the mood.

As it happened, that was fairly frequently.

They were alone at the rink – there was nobody there to judge.

Of course, Yuuri refrained once Victor set up his filming equipment – Yuuri understood preciously little of it, so he focused on the skating instead. It was better that way, for both of them.

It took quite some time until Victor was pleased with the recordings, and even longer until Yuuri was pleased with his progress – by then, it was already quite late in the afternoon. They returned to the onsen starving, only to be greeted by his mother and two bowls of katsudon.

One heavenly lunch later, they were soaking in the onsen before embarking on a walk to the beach. Victor had insisted on it, and on bringing the dogs. Watching both poodles scamper along the sand while they followed was probably one of Yuuri’s favourite moments in his life, period.

When Victor slipped his hand in Yuuri’s while they walked, it got better.

By the time they both fell into bed, they were too tired to do more than sleep – in each other’s arms.

Really, Yuuri only went to his room to get dressed. On his way back down to Victor, his mother caught him and tasked him with some errands. He decided against bothering the Russian with them and so headed out alone. Getting flowers for Mari wasn’t exactly a hardship – nor was picking up a few gifts from family friends along the route. 

He made good time and was back a little before they needed to leave. They’d agreed to take two cars – one for Yuuri’s parents and Mari, and one for him and Victor. It was just too cramped otherwise. Even with Fukuoka being less than an hour away, squeezing into one car didn’t seem reasonable.

So, they found themselves in their rental an hour or so before their reservation and following his parents’ car.

It was then that Yuuri noticed something was up with Victor.

The man wasn’t acting… shifty, per se, but he was certainly squirming around a lot. He’d acted a little odd all morning, to be fair, but in the car, it was getting more… noticeable. Still, the man acted as if everything was fine, and Yuuri was busy enough mentally drooling over how fantastic he looked in the sleek black suit Yuuri had made him pack back in Detroit, that he ignored it.

Dinner with his family was… fun. In no small part because Victor was there. Per Mari’s request, all things birthday were kept low-key. There was no cake, no singing, nothing. She wanted it to be a ‘normal’ dinner – just at a nicer restaurant than normal.

Naturally, her family sort of ignored that and brought along nicely wrapped gifts for her too. Handing Mari her flowers and her gifts was great, of course, as was with them all, but having Victor by his side really was the icing on the cake.

Even if the icing got progressively more restless throughout the evening.

By dessert, even his mother had asked if Victor wasn’t feeling well – he’d denied it. Yuuri didn’t quite buy it, not really. Something was up, be he wasn’t about to force it out of his partner… especially not in front of his family.

He did, however, quietly keep watch the entire time they were together. His family shared a few glasses of a pricy wine in the Western restaurant they had gone to – his father had insisted on trying some of the French wine they offered. Victor, who Yuuri knew had strong feelings on all things French and wine, stayed uncharacteristically quiet. 

The only time he really spoke up was when the bill came – he insisted on paying for all of them. Yuuri had expected his parents to pay, and to be fair they tried, but Victor wasn’t having it. He all but threw his credit card at the waiter until the flustered man accepted it.

It was sweet.

Really sweet.

He told him as much, on their walk back to the car, a few steps behind Yuuri’s family. It was a short walk, just past a few buildings and an alley back to their parking spot.

They didn’t make it all the way to the car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Victor’s suit: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/3a/a3/00/3aa30099a4e5383b443241824a9eb65d.jpg


	103. Chapter 103

Victor was going insane.

He’d been slowly getting worse throughout the day, and by the time they got in the car, he realised that he’d likely overestimated himself. Just sitting next to Yuuri, once again looking fantastic, was testing his patience, really.

Dinner… dinner was a disaster. He did his best to act normally, but Yuuri’s family kept giving him worried looks, and so did Yuuri himself. He didn’t want to worry the man. He wanted to be charming, seductive, funny… 

Well, he was none of those things. He was quiet and shifty. 

He couldn’t help it.

By the time they got up to leave, Victor all but wanted to sprint outside. He’d run out of patience around the time they’d ordered dessert, and it was only his respect for Yuuri’s family that had held him back from doing any of the things his mind so helpfully suggested he do.

He knew the second an opportunity would present itself, he would take it.

An opportunity presented itself in the shape of an alleyway that Victor wouldn’t have been caught dead in any other day. As soon as he spotted it, he blindly reached for Yuuri and yanked the man into it.

As soon as they were hidden in the dark side road, he practically slammed Yuuri into the wall and took his mouth in a fevered kiss. Yuuri grunted in surprise but didn’t exactly fight back – after a few seconds, he kissed Victor back.

His hands settled low on Victor’s hips and he ground himself against his shorter companion as much as possible leaning against the wall. Yuuri gasped and tried to pull away – no doubt to ask him what he was doing, but Victor wasn’t interested in talking.

He nipped on Yuuri’s bottom lip, pleased when the skater growled in response. His grip on Victor tightened, and moments later Yuuri bucked up against him – he could feel that the other man was as hard as he was. Had been for some time, really – he was quite glad his suit covered him so well.

A well-placed thigh against his erection had him moaning, finally breaking the kiss so he could breathe – not that he wouldn’t have preferred to keep kissing Yuuri.

“V-Victor! What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?” The other man gasped – Victor didn’t reply, he just kept grinding against Yuuri’s leg. It felt fantastic.

Eventually, though, Yuuri pushed him back a little, breaking contact between them. He couldn’t help his disappointed whine at that.

“Victor!” Yuuri hissed, breathing a little harder.

He gulped – he really should have thought this through more.

“Can’t I just want you?” He blurted out, too turned on to care how he sounded to Yuuri.

“Well… well… this is an alley? Why not wait until we are home?”

“Because I couldn’t! Yuuuuri, please!”

The other man looked hesitant still – Victor didn’t want hesitant. He wanted desperately turned on.

“Victor, you’ve been acting odd all evening. Why won’t you tell me what’s going on?”

He huffed – talking didn’t sound like fun at all.

Instead, he leaned in to kiss Yuuri again. The other man let him – reciprocated even, one hand running along Victor’s neck and holding him in place. He moaned happily into the kiss when Yuuri spun them around and practically shoved him into the wall, pressing him there and kissing him even more aggressively. 

It was perfect.

Until Yuuri pulled back, at least.

“Victor, listen to me.”

He was absolutely pinned in place by Yuuri’s determined stare and serious tone – it wasn’t like him to act like that. Victor liked it.

“Y-Yes?” He panted, straining against Yuuri’s hold just to feel it tighten again.

“You and I are getting into the car right now. When we get out of the car, we are going to discuss this, you understand me?”

Nodding dejectedly, he stumbled a little when Yuuri released him.

The other man wasn’t entirely unsympathetic though – he wrapped his arm around Victor’s waist and supported him to the car, even opened the door for him.

He cursed quietly as he got in – how in the world was he going to survive an HOUR in his state?


	104. Chapter 104

Yuuri had a fair bit of difficulty walking back to the car. He was leaning on Victor as much as the other man was leaning on him. He knew it wasn’t the alcohol – Victor had barely had any.

He had no clue what had gotten into the other man, actually, but he was determined to find out.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t really into it – desperate, horny Victor was quite probably his favourite Victor – but he wanted to make sure that whatever it was, it came from… from a good place. He was never quite sure with the other man.

As soon as he got in the car next to the other man, he realised with absolute certainty that they weren’t making it back to the onsen. Not while Victor was staring at him like he was about to ravage him.

So, he sent a quick text to his family explaining that they would explore Fukuoka a little more, before plugging something into his maps app. It was all in Japanese and he was glad – a nine-minute drive. He could make it that far.

Probably.

He looked over at his partner and gulped.

Maybe.

To be fair, he wasn’t sure if Victor would have paid any attention even if he HAD been able to understand their destination – he seemed content to just… stare.

Yuuri put the car in gear and headed towards their destination – they couldn’t get there fast enough, as far as he was concerned.

Gripping the steering wheel tighter, he decided to break a speeding law or two to get to where they were headed. He made the drive in six minutes.

Driving straight into the underground parking garage, he didn’t so much as acknowledge Victor’s confused questions about where they were. He just grabbed the older man’s wrists and pulled him along. First into the elevator, then out on the ground floor.

The entrance hall they were in was completely empty of people. 

Good.

Yuuri wasn’t looking for people – he was looking for a machine. He spotted it easily and headed over to it. 

“Give me your credit card.” He ordered Victor who complied, obviously still confused.

Much as it pained Yuuri, he couldn’t quite afford what he was doing, and he was about 120% sure Mr.I-will-fly-you-to-Japan-first-class wouldn’t mind what he was doing.

It took him a few minutes – too long – to order everything he wanted, before pressing confirm and snatching up the card and printed receipt the machine spit out.

Next was another piece of plastic – a token. He grabbed it and yanked Victor back into the elevator, blindly pressing the button for the third floor.

“Y-Yuuri! What is this place?”

“You’ll see.”

On their floor, he headed down the corridor, looking for room 308, as per the machine’s instructions. He nearly dropped the token in his attempts to open the door, but just about managed. Pulling Victor inside after him, he immediately slammed the door shut and breathed a sigh of relief.

Finally.

Victor was standing there, his mouth open in the cutest little o-shape, while Yuuri was already yanking off his suit. He sort of understood it – the room he’d booked WAS quite spectacular. He’d blindly gone for one of the more expensive options, picking colours he thought Victor would like. There hadn’t been pictures, just short descriptions.

The room they were in had a HUGE circular bed in the middle, kept in shades of red and black. Yuuri knew there was a button somewhere that would make it spin. The bathroom had its own jacuzzi, and he knew that somewhere, there was a service-elevator type window with… supplies. A lot of supplies. 

He couldn’t be bothered looking for it though – he was far too pre-occupied with Victor. Victor… who was looking at him like a starving man might a banquet.

He paused in taking off his shirt – he’d already stripped off the suit jacket and pants, frozen in place by Victor’s hungry stare.

A moment later, he found himself pushed onto the bed by Victor. He bounced slightly on the soft mattress before Victor’s hard body settled above him. The man was straddling his hips – no doubt feeling that Yuuri was hard already.

Had been since the car, really. The older man shamelessly ground against him, sloppily kissing him, his hands fisted in Yuuri’s hair.

It was fantastic.

Yuuri pushed him back anyway.

“Take off your clothes.” He ordered, pleased when a flushed Victor immediately proceeded to yank off his clothes. The expensive suit was immediately thrown away, crumpled up in a corner. The shirt and socks followed suit, and before Yuuri could say a word on the matter, Victor’s flimsy underwear joined the pile.

He gulped – Victor was practically dripping, the head a shade of purple that suggested he had been turned on for… for a long time. Yuuri gulped.

Getting up again, he pulled off the rest of his clothes until they were both naked on the huge round bed.

“V-Victor! Before we have sex… will you tell me what’s gotten into you?”

The Russian gave a breathless laugh.

“No. But… but I could show you?”

Confused, Yuuri nodded… and found himself pushed off the bed a moment later.

“Victor?”

The other man winked at him before turning away from him – Yuuri was getting more confused by the minute. His lover turned and shuffled on the bed until he had his back turned to him, feet just barely dangling off the edge.

He was kneeling, but even as Yuuri admired the man’s muscular back, Victor bent at the hip. He half expected the man to get on all fours – and wouldn’t that have been a view – but Victor surpassed his expectations and bent even lower until his cheek was on the bed, arse high up in the air.

As if that wasn’t enough to nearly knock Yuuri dead (it was), he then clumsily reached behind himself with both hands and spread his cheeks.

It took Yuuri a good minute of staring and hopefully committing the sight before him to memory before he fully realised what he was looking at.

“Victor… are you wearing a plug?”


	105. Chapter 105

By the time they reached the hotel room – and at least Victor had finally figured out they even WERE in a hotel – he could barely stand upright.

The fact that Yuuri had taken them to what was obviously some sort of luxury hotel, if an odd one was… god, it was a relief.

He felt almost cheated when he realised that Yuuri had started stripping before him. He threw the other man on the bed, desperate for some relief after hours of torture – to no avail. There were far too many clothes in the way.

When Yuuri finally asked for him to explain himself, he found that… well, that words failed him. Mindless desire only got him so far, and his nerves ended up preventing him from explaining just what he’d been doing. He decided to show Yuuri instead.

The shocked gasp and low growl Yuuri gave when he finally noticed made all the torture so, so worth it.

He felt the bed dip a little, spreading his legs wider so Yuuri could kneel on the bed more easily. He almost regretted kneeling so close to the edge – it prevented Yuuri from getting as close to him as he wanted him.

Well, it turned out he needn’t have worried. Firm hands reached for his ass a few moments later and he pulled back his own, relieved to be able to at least lean up on all fours. He didn’t get that far though, as moments later he was pressed back down into the bed, Yuuri’s body against his own. He could feel the other man’s erection pressing against his ass.

He suppressed a moan, aware that Yuuri had said something… except he hadn’t caught a word of it.

“W-What?” He stuttered out, trying to focus on anything other than the hard length pressed against him.

“I said… how long have you been wearing this?” Yuuri’s voice was low, almost a growl.

“I… since before we left?”

“So all throughout the drive, throughout dinner, you were wearing this?” 

He nodded, best as he could with his face pressed against the bed.

“You’ve never… isn’t this your first time playing with your ass?” 

Quite suddenly, the weight of Yuuri on his back was gone and he could lean up after all. Looking back over his shoulder, he gulped at the predatory look on his partner’s face.

“Sort of. I… I’ve been using the other toys, the training kit, since this morning. To… to stretch. Until I could fit the plug. Wasn’t that hard.”

It really hadn’t been – wearing it was much more difficult. Victor had known about his prostate and what it did, of course, objectively speaking. He’d had NO idea what it would feel like to have the plug press against it every now and again, reminding him of how badly he wanted it to be Yuuri instead.

It was absolute torture, though the look on Yuuri’s face was worth it.


	106. Chapter 106

Yuuri realised that he might just have to marry Victor. Well, as soon as he was done fucking him into the bed, which he planned on doing as soon as humanly possible.

… After the other man answered a few more of his questions.

Restraint wearing thin at Victor’s words, he forced himself to stay focused.

“So, every time you dashed off to the bathroom or bedroom today…” 

Victor nodded eagerly.

“Y-Yeah. I used up a LOT of the lube.” The man chuckled softly.

Yuuri gently ran his finger across the red diamond plug. It was the one he had seen in Victor’s things before – he’d certainly not expected anything like this.

“How do you like wearing it?” His treacherous mouth asked before he could think better of it.

Victor moaned a desperate sound that shot straight to Yuuri’s cock.

“Do you really want to talk about this right now?” He didn’t miss the barely masked frustration in the older man’s voice.

“Yes.”

Groaning in annoyance, Victor shifted his hips a little, as sill up in the air. Yuuri liked the view.

“It was weird, at first. Then… it got better? I still think I’d rather you than the plug.”

Hearing that from the supposedly straight man was… powerful.

“But you haven’t had me yet?”

Victor moaned again, shifting more deliberately this time.

“Well, in case you can’t tell, that’s sort of where I wanted this to lead.” The Russian snapped, clearly getting impatient.

Good.

Yuuri was too.

“No doubt. I have to go get something.” Ignoring Victor’s mewl of protest, he went looking for the service-elevator hatch he knew would be somewhere in the room. It was towards the bathroom – an unassuming red wall panel. He opened it and retrieved the basket sitting inside. The machine below had let him order several things, and he’d taken full advantage. Of course, he hadn’t realised what Victor had done, but that just made it better.

He walked back to the bed, limping a little, and poured the basket onto the bed next to Victor.

The Russian barely took notice of it.

He got quite a different reaction when he leaned down and placed a kiss on Victor’s left cheek, followed by a not-too-gentle bite. The hoarse cry that Victor gave before pushing towards him, even more, was quite… encouraging.

“Do you want me to fuck you?”

Victor nodded frantically.

“Then come here and prepare me.”

“Prepare you… how?”

The other man obediently turned around, only then noticing the bottles and packets that Yuuri had dumped on the bed. 

“Wow!”

Glancing between Yuuri’s cock and the pile, he clearly found one to be more interesting than the other. Blindly grabbing one of the bottles of lube, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to Yuuri’s thigh, just inches away from his cock.

Victor opened the bottle and broke the seal with shaky fingers, but before he could squeeze any onto his hand, Yuuri stopped him.

“Victor… condom first.” 

“It’s fine? If you want… I trust you?”

Gulping, Yuuri shook his head. 

“That’s… it’ll be messy. Maybe some other time?”

Victor nodded. Yuuri could hardly credit how disappointed the other man looked before grabbing one of the condom wrappers. He tore it open and, still with shaking fingers, rolled it over Yuuri’s cock.

It was a truly hideous shade of bubblegum blue, and Yuuri wrinkled his nose at it – well, no helping it.

Victor seemed oblivious to his dislike of the colour and immediately squeezed the lube bottle above his cock. A truly unnecessary amount spilled down and over him, making him hiss. It was quite… cold.

Seeing how eagerly Victor wrapped his hands around him to spread it though… Yuuri decided he was okay with the cold. After a few seconds, the other man turned around again, facing away from Yuuri.

Faced with the plug again, he gulped – clearly, Victor wanted him to remove it. That was… something.


	107. Chapter 107

Victor was nearly out of his mind by the time Yuuri reached for the plug. He’d half expected the other man to just pull it out, but he didn’t – at least not quickly. He moved it torturously slowly. If it hadn’t been for his other hand holding his hips in place, he’d have pulled away himself.

He felt curiously empty without it, in a way that he’d never really felt before. He didn’t have long to contemplate the feeling though, because something else pressed against him – Yuuri’s fingers, slick with lube.

He took a deep breath to relax – the first time Yuuri’s fingers pushed into him felt uncomfortable, but by the third or so motion, he was eagerly leaning into it. He was running purely on instinct – he’d accepted a while ago that his body seemed to have a better idea of what he needed than his mind did.

And Yuuri… well, clearly Yuuri knew too.

Before long, the light squelching sounds accompanied by his gasps and moans became the only sounds he could hear, drowning out even his rapid heartbeat. He had no idea how long Yuuri prepared him for, but it certainly seemed longer than necessary.

If he’d still had the ability to speak English, he’d have complained. As it was, all he could do was sit there and wait for Yuuri to finally take mercy on him.

Hands fisted into the sheets, he groaned in disappointment when Yuuri pulled back eventually.

“Victor… lay down, on your back.”

He mindlessly obeyed, gracelessly flopping onto his back and spreading his legs. Yuuri looked divine above him, one hand wrapped around his dick, the other possessively on Victor’s thigh. After a few moments of mutual staring, Yuuri sighed and moved his legs – he folded them up and towards his shoulders. 

It wasn’t the most comfortable position, but something about the slight humiliation of it only edged him on more – wrapping his hands around his knees to hold himself in place, he whimpered when Yuuri pushed his fingers into him one more time… rougher this time, less gentle.

Then… then Yuuri was leaning over him, supporting himself with one hand, his other positioning himself against Victor’s entrance. He desperately wanted to kiss Yuuri again, all too well aware that their position didn’t exactly allow for it.

Something about his face must have given him away though, because Yuuri paused and, in a feat of sheer strength, bent his arm to bring their faces together. The kiss was slow and unhurried, a counterpoint to the frenzied arousal he felt.

Watching Yuuri’s muscles bulge as he leaned back up, he gulped – how had he gotten so lucky?


	108. Chapter 108

Positioning himself above Victor again, Yuuri had to concentrate to not come on the spot. The obvious eagerness of the man below him, the desperate arousal so plain on his features was one of the most attractive things he had ever seen.

He wanted to savour the moment… almost as much as he wanted to snap his hips forward and take him, as hard and fast as his body demanded.

Forcing himself to go slowly, he pushed into Victor, careful to look for any sign of discomfort. There were none. Yuuri had done his best to prepare him, not that Victor hadn’t already done most of the work, so he knew the other man was ready.

Eyes riveted on Victor’s face, he catalogued every expression, every twitch and sigh and gasp as he slowly pushed in. He knew he was longer than his fingers, so the penetration was no doubt deeper. When he bottomed out, they were both breathing hard, Yuuri doing his best to hold still.

He wanted to give Victor time to adjust, time to get used to the feeling – a feeling he’d hopefully enjoy as much as Yuuri was.

Victor seemed to have other ideas – almost as soon as Yuuri stopped moving, he squirmed and ultimately squeezed around Victor in a way that took his breath away. Leaning on both arms, he tentatively pulled back and thrust back into his lover.

It felt divine. Within moments, Victor had his arms wrapped around his neck, now that Yuuri was pinning his legs in place with his body. He started thrusting evenly, slowly even, to give Victor every chance to change his mind.

The man WAS mumbling something – in Russian.

“V-Victor… English?”

The other man groaned.

“P-Please?”

“Please what?”

“M-more? I don’t… I don’t know, but… more?”

Yuuri bit the inside of his cheek to hold himself back. Victor had been begging for more – in Russian, to out of it to speak English.

He was definitely going to have to marry him, he just had no choice.

He changed his angle, little by little, until Victor gave a hoarse cry, his nails digging into Yuuri’s shoulders.

He smiled triumphantly, making sure to hit Victor’s prostate with every thrust.

Victor Nikiforov, he discovered, was a screamer.

Yuuri never really liked it when his partners were too loud – he found it embarrassing. With Victor… well, he wanted the whole world to hear.

Speeding up more and more, he realised that he couldn’t keep going for much longer, not when Victor was looking as delightfully wrecked as he was.

Carefully shifting his weight a little, he reached between them and wrapped his hand around Victor’s erection.

He managed to stroke him once, maybe twice, before Victor was screaming his name, coming for what seemed like forever.

Yuuri allowed himself a few more thrusts, harder and faster, and then he too was gone, losing himself to his orgasm.


	109. Chapter 109

Victor woke up and couldn’t really breathe. That was his first thought.

The reason for this was pretty easily discovered – the love of his life was passed out on his chest.

It took a moment for memories to flitter back into his mind – when they did, he felt himself blushing scarlet. Shifting a little revealed that he was INCREDIBLY sore – more so even than after the ice skating.

He also needed the bathroom.

So, gritting his teeth, he gently rolled Yuuri off himself, shuddering at the cold damp patches on the bed, and slid over to the edge.

He stood, only to nearly collapse when his legs wouldn’t quite carry him. Now cursing quietly, he stumbled his way to the bathroom. Eyeing the shower and the toilet, he decided to use the latter first. Behind a partition, he discovered a jacuzzi – rinsing himself down, he was in it in mere minutes.

The hot water did wonders for his lower half.

After playing with the controls for a bit, he managed to set it to an acceptable temperature and got the lights to shift colours. It was heaven.

He hadn’t really understood where Yuuri had taken him – not that he had cared much – but he eventually realised it had to be one of those hour hotels he’d read about. He’d certainly never expected to find himself in one, but he wasn’t complaining – they could NOT have done what they did in Yuuri’s family’s onsen.

Clearing his throat, he discovered it was a little sore – no wonder. He’d been screaming a fair bit.

His probably-forever-limp cock gave an interested twitch at the memory, but even after his nap, there was no way he could get it back up. He also had no idea what time it was – the room had, strangely enough, no windows. At least, none that he had seen.

He was torn from his musings when Yuuri stumbled into the bathroom a few moments later. The skater looked dishevelled and out of it – in a cute way, of course.

“Hey…” His lover greeted him. “I’ll join you in a minute?”

“Mh, please do!”

He did his best not to listen as Yuuri used the facilities and showered. He did, however, absolutely stare as Yuuri climbed into the jacuzzi. He had to turn his back – where Victor discovered a fair amount of scratch marks.

He kept his nails short and he hadn’t realised, but apparently, he’d held on to the other man more than he noticed.

Not that he had it in himself to care, of course. Some sort of possessive instinct made him want to preen at the sight, actually.

Victor half-expected Yuuri to sit on the far end of the jacuzzi, but the man sat right by his side. He wasn’t sure why, but it made a surge of affection well up within him. Carefully, he leaned against Yuuri’s side, pleased when the other man only shifted to accommodate him more comfortably.

“Are you alright?”

“Hm?”

“I didn’t hurt you? I wasn’t too rough?”

Victor nearly swooned.

“No, of course not. It was perfect. You… were perfect.”


	110. Chapter 110

Yuuri felt himself choke up a little at the way Victor nuzzled against him. He hadn’t really been all that worried that he hurt Victor, but he’d wanted to make sure nevertheless – as it was, the Russian seemed… happy.

He liked that. Making him happy was… good.

“I never expected you to take me to an adult hotel, Yuuuri!” Victor purred into his neck.

He cleared his throat.

“Yes, well, I didn’t think you’d want to drive all the way back, and I wasn’t… the alley wasn’t an option.”

“Very true. Ohhh I would have had to be quiet if we’d gone back, wouldn’t I?”

Yuuri snorted.

“Could you have?”

Victor didn’t bother replying. He was fairly certain he knew the answer anyway.

“So… when are we leaving?”

“I, erm, booked the room for a few hours. I figured… well, whatever happened, this would be a good place to talk or…”

“For you to fuck me hard enough that I forgot how to speak English?”

Blushing furiously, Yuuri couldn’t suppress a squeak.

“Uh, yes? That? Was good? Uhm…”

Victor wrapped his arm around Yuuri’s chest and nuzzled even closer.

“Are you okay too? Did you enjoy it?”

“Victor… it was the best sex I’ve ever had.”

“Oh. Well… I’m glad.”

“Mhm. We should… we should probably get ready though. We’ve been here a while now and my family might get worried.”

Victor huffed in displeasure, but still released him – the Russian got out first, visibly wincing.

Yuuri was filled with guilt immediately – until Victor winked at him over his shoulder.

They got dressed in comfortable silence – well, except for the stream of complaints Victor had about the state of his suit.

Yuuri thought it looked as good rumpled on the floor as it did on the man, but he knew better than to actually say that out loud. There was no telling how Victor might react, really.

They walked to the elevator hand in hand, after Yuuri worked up the courage to reach for Victor. He felt like a schoolboy with his first crush – not that it was his first.

It was, however, a crush.

More than that, if he was honest.

It had been more than that for some time, hard as that was to admit.

Looking over at his partner who was playing with his phone in the car, Yuuri felt something restless in his stomach just… settle.

How could he have even denied what he was feeling?

“Victor… let’s end this.”


	111. Chapter 111

Victor’s phone slipped from his fingers at the unexpected words from Yuuri.

Of all the things he’d expected to hear, that didn’t even crack the top hundred.

He felt tears burning in his eyes before he could even fully comprehend what just happened. His head snapped around, tears already staining his wrinkled suit.

“I… what?” He asked, just in case it was a misunderstanding of some sort.

“Let’s end this.” Yuuri repeated.

“W-Why? Yuuri? What did I do?”

To his complete bafflement, when Yuuri finally looked away from the road and over at him, he looked surprised that Victor was crying.

“Why are you crying?” The skater half-shouted at him.

“Because! You’re… breaking up with me?” He sniffled, unable and unwilling to hide his pain.

“I? What? No! No! Victor, no!”

To his surprise, Yuuri pulled over immediately – a little too harshly, and a little too suddenly. He switched the engine off and fully turned around.

“Please, Victor, believe me, that’s not what I meant at ALL!”

He sniffled.

“Then what DID you mean?”

He was desperately hoping that it really WAS just a misunderstanding – a miscommunication of some sort, even if it seemed unlikely.

“I meant… oh god, please stop crying? Please? I was trying to say that I love you!”

Victor froze – even the sobs tearing themselves from his throat just… stopped. Too shocked to even consider speaking, he just stared at Yuuri, who was panicking more and more by the second.

“Do you remember how you said that you’d prove yourself to me? That you’d prove your feelings, and that you wanted me and all that?”

He nodded, still too dumbfounded for actual words.

“Well, I meant… that. It’s not… necessary. You don’t have to prove anything. I believe you. I mean, I’ve believed you for a while. I just… I wanted you to know that I feel the same? I’ve had feelings for you for a while too, but I wasn’t… sure?”

Nodding along again, Victor waited for things to start making sense again.

“I like you, I liked you from the start. But, when we were… walking to the elevator, holding hands? I know it sounds stupid but I realised that I love you? I don’t know when it started but I do? So what I was trying to say was… that I want to end this… whatever we’re doing so I can be with you properly?”

A new wave of tears welled up and started running down his cheeks – happy tears this time.

“T-That sounds like a proposal, Yuuri!”

“…Mh.”

Ignoring the restriction of his seatbelt, he reached across the car and pulled Yuuri into an uncomfortable hug. The other man was still fretting, but he hugged Victor back, at least.

“I’ve loved you since the first time I saw you, Yuuri.” He eventually managed to choke out in between sobs.

Yuuri just hugged him tighter. He was fairly sure that the other man was crying as well, there, on his shoulder, but he wasn’t about to pull back to check. He couldn’t have even if he wanted, truth be told.

When finally, they both calmed down again and let go, he got his confirmation – Yuuri’s eyes and nose were red.

It wasn’t a good look, not even on the most beautiful man in the world.

He kissed him anyway.


	112. Chapter 112

Yuuri was the dumbest person on the planet, he just knew it.

Stealing glances at the other man in the car as they resumed their journey, he kept mentally kicking himself. How had him trying to confess to the other man even ended up making him cry? And HOW was it fair that Victor was such a beautiful crier? Nobody should look that good in a messy suit and crying.

It wasn’t fair.

He really didn’t deserve the other man – yet, apparently, he had him. Victor Nikiforov loved Yuuri Katsuki… and Yuuri Katsuki loved Victor Nikiforov.

It didn’t make sense, and it probably never would, but it felt better than any medal he had ever won – or would ever win.

There were things they needed to figure out – first off, they still had Victor’s skating challenge to complete. After that, living arrangements. There was no way Yuuri could afford travelling cross-country often, and he suspected Victor wouldn’t want to either, so he was fully planning on asking the other man to move in with him.

Ideally, not in a car though, and only after properly rehearsing his words to avoid more disasters like his confession.

Then there were the dogs – Yuuri wanted to take Vicchan with them to Detroit. The two poodles loved each other – he didn’t want them to have to separate again.

He needed to save up some money – his painfully slim savings wouldn’t be NEARLY enough to buy Victor the kind of ring he was going to get at the first opportunity that presented itself.

Between all of that, he also had to prepare for his next season, create programs for it and so on. Victor had his own career as well – Yuuri hadn’t the faintest idea what that involved when he wasn’t trying to learn ice skating.

And then… Yuuri had no idea what else, but he knew there had to be more.

He was still wracking his brain trying to think of more when they arrived back at the onsen. His family was still up – they had had had some late guests, apparently. If either of his parents noticed that they had both looked a little more put together at dinner, neither of them said anything. Victor was already half-way in the door when Yuuri got out and locked the car.

He could faintly hear Victor talking to his mother.

“How many grandchildren would you like?”

“VICTOOOOOR!”

~~ The End ~~

(Or is it…)


End file.
